Colorado Looks to Continue Hot Streak Against Los Angeles

Preview:

The Colorado Avalanche will look to continue their hot streak when they take on the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. The Avalanche have won five straight games and are 8-1-1 in their last 10. The Kings, meanwhile, have lost two straight and are 4-4-2 in their last 10.

Keys to the Game:

The Avalanche will need to continue to get production from their top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog. The trio has combined for 22 points in the Avalanche's last five games.

The Kings will need to find a way to slow down the Avalanche's offense. The Avalanche are averaging 4.3 goals per game this season, which is the second-highest mark in the NHL.

Special teams:

The Avalanche have the NHL's top-ranked power play, converting on 33.3% of their opportunities.

The Kings have the NHL's 24th-ranked power play, converting on 18.2% of their opportunities.

The Avalanche have the NHL's 10th-ranked penalty kill, killing off 81.4% of their penalties.

The Kings have the NHL's 28th-ranked penalty kill, killing off 73.5% of their penalties.

Players to Watch:

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche: MacKinnon is the reigning Hart Trophy winner and is one of the most dynamic players in the NHL. He leads the Avalanche in scoring with 12 goals and 18 assists this season.

Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings: Kopitar is the Kings' captain and their leading scorer with 10 goals and 15 assists this season. He is a skilled two-way centerman who can make plays all over the ice.

Prediction:

The Avalanche are the better team on paper and they should be able to win this game. However, the Kings are a tough team to play against at home and they will be looking to rebound from their recent losses. I predict that the Avalanche will win a close game, 3-2.

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