League-best Avalanche seek payback vs. surging Predators

The Colorado Avalanche have lost twice in regulation this season, and they narrowly escaped a third at Nashville on Tuesday night.

Colorado tied the game with eight seconds left in the third period, but then lost in a shootout to the Predators. The Avalanche get a chance to avenge that rare loss when they host Nashville on Saturday night in Denver.

It is the third of four meetings between the teams this season. Colorado won the first game 3-0 in Nashville on Nov. 22, during its 10-game winning streak, which was snapped at Minnesota on Nov. 28.

The Avalanche stole a point against the Wild and have earned at least one in 29 of their 31 games. They have won 10 straight at home, where they are 12-0-2 overall, after a 6-2 victory over Florida on Thursday.

It was the seventh time this season that Colorado has scored six or more goals, which has made things easier for its goaltenders.

"You still have to make a couple saves, but the quantity and volume are a lot lower than a lot of other places that ask a lot of you," Mackenzie Blackwood said after stopping 23 shots against the Panthers. "They make my life pretty darn easy."

The Avalanche lead the NHL in goals scored (124) and allowed (68), which has led to a league-best 51 points. Colorado has the NHL's scoring leader in Nathan MacKinnon, who has 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists), and the leader among defensemen in Cale Makar, who has 37 points (10 goals, 27 assists).

MacKinnon scored his 392nd career goal Thursday night, passing Joe Sakic for the most by an Avalanche player. Sakic holds the franchise record with 625, which includes his goals with the Quebec Nordiques.

Gavin Brindley returned from a 10-game absence with a goal and an assist Thursday night, but forward Joel Kiviranta didn't play the last two periods due to an upper-body injury.

Head coach Jared Bednar said after Friday's optional practice that Kiviranta, who missed 17 games earlier this season with a lower-body injury, is feeling better and could be back in the lineup Saturday night.

Colorado isn't the only team on a heater right now. The last-place Predators have won six of their last eight games and closed the gap on seventh-place St. Louis in the Central Division with a 7-2 win over the Blues on Thursday.

Steven Stamkos recorded his second career four-goal game in the win.

"It's one of those nights," said Stamkos, who finished with nine shots on goal. "You can never expect to come in and score four goals. Just great to be part of that win, where we put together some quality games after some quality games. That's been something we've been trying to accomplish."

Stamkos now has 594 career goals, 22nd on the all-time list, and his 12 goals this season lead Nashville. Ryan O'Reilly (10 goals, 13 assists) and Luke Evangelista (four goals, 19 assists) lead the team with 23 points and Filip Forsberg has 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists).

The Predators are averaging 4.1 goals during this eight-game stretch.