The Avalanche conclude a two-game road trip tonight in Winnipeg against a Jets team that has gone 3-0-1 in the past four games and with a 13-9-4 record and 30 points is tied with Los Angeles for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Avalanche (9-11-6, 24 points) are 1-2-1 in the past four games and six points out of that final postseason berth, but they have plenty of teams to climb over to get there.

Here are the game notes for tonight.

The Avalanche didn't skate this morning after Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss in Calgary. My guess is Semyon Varlamov will start in goal again, especially with the way Reto Berra has been playing and the fact the Avalanche don't play again until Tuesday against Nashville to open a three-game homestand.

Michael Hutchinson will start for the Jets and he's having a terrific season with a 4-1-2 record, 1.56 goals-against average and .947 save percentage. He's allowed a total of seven goals while going 4-0-2 in his past six starts. Hutchinson, 24, covers plenty of net with his 6-feet-3, 202-pound frame. Drafted by Boston in 2008, he signed as a free agent with Winnipeg in July 2013.

While the Avalanche have nine players out with injuries, the Jets will be without three defensemen: Grant Clitsome (undisclosed), Toby Enstrom (lower body) and Zach Bogosian (lower body). So 6-5, 260-pound Dustin Byfuglien will move from right wing to defense.

The Avalanche have gone 3-0-3 in the past six games against the Jets, who won 2-1 in overtime Oct. 26 when Bryan Little scored with 24.2 seconds to play at the MTS Centre.

Alex Tanguay has two goals and four assists in a six-game scoring streak ... Nathan MacKinnon has seven assists but no goals in the past eight games with one assist in the past four ... The Avalanche are 2-for-40 on power plays in the past 14 games. Both goals came last Saturday in their 5-2 home win against Dallas.

Here's the Avalanche lineup:

FORWARDS
Alex Tanguay - Matt Duchene - Ryan O'Reilly
Gabriel Landeskog - Nathan MacKinnon - Jarome Iginla
Tomas Vincour - Max Talbot - Daniel Briere
Cody McLeod - Michael Sgarbossa - Nick Holden

DEFENSEMEN
Jan Hejda - Erik Johnson
Nate Guenin - Tyson Barrie
Karl Stollery - Zach Redmond

GOALIES
Semyon Varlamov
Reto Berra



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