(SportsNetwork.com) - The Colorado Avalanche will try to pick up their first win of the season series against Chicago, as the Central Division foes battle Tuesday night at the United Center.
The Blackhawks are 2-0 so far in the 2014-15 series against Colorado and Chicago posted a 5-2 road victory when the clubs last met on Dec. 27 at the Pepsi Center. Patrick Kane registered two goals and an assist to fuel Chicago's offense.
Last season, the Avalanche went 3-1-1 against the Blackhawks over five meetings and they have claimed two straight and four of the past six encounters in the Windy City.
Colorado won a surprising Central Division title in 2013-14, but Patrick Roy's club is in the basement this season with 38 points. Chicago, meanwhile, is tied with Nashville for the division lead with 54 points.
The Blackhawks have won three of their last four games and are coming off Sunday's OT victory over the visiting Dallas Stars. Patrick Sharp scored the winning goal in the extra session to lift Chicago to the 5-4 decision and snap the Stars' winning streak at four games.
Corey Crawford made 30 saves for Chicago, which trailed by a goal on four separate occasions but answered each time. Brad Richards, who along with Sharp posted a goal and an assist, tied the game at 4-4 with his marker late in the third period, and Sharp won it 1:17 into the extra session.
Kane, Bryan Bickell and Brandon Saad also scored for the Blackhawks, who improved to 3-0 this season against Dallas. The victory also pushed Chicago's home record this season to 14-4-1.
Sharp ended it when he snuck in towards the goal, received a feed from Duncan Keith and beat Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen.
"Great play by Duncan," said Sharp. "Great patience, and a little fake shot/pass to me. And I was able to put it in."
Sharp and Kane both have at least one point in four straight games.
Crawford will get the start tonight for the 'Hawks. He is 4-6-2 with a 3.10 goals against average in his career against Colorado.
Colorado had a brief two-game win streak halted on Sunday, as it lost a close regulation decision against visiting Columbus. David Savard recorded the tie- breaking goal with 1:01 remaining to lift the Blue Jackets to the 4-3 decision in Denver.
Colorado received goals from Jarome Iginla, Gabriel Landeskog and Cody McLeod, while Semyon Varlamov finished with 23 saves in the setback.
Prior to Savard's game-winner with 61 seconds left, the Avalanche had battled back from one-goal deficits twice earlier, the last when McLeod snuck a wraparound attempt under Craig McElhinney's skate to knot the score at 3-3 with 4:30 left in the second period.
"We came back, but it was tough to give up that last-minute goal," Iginla remarked.
Colorado's Matt Duchene had a shot rattle off the post just seconds after McLeod's goal. Teammate Alex Tanguay also caught iron on a breakaway chance previously in the period.
"We had our chances," said Iginla. "We played a good, hard, disciplined game. One more minute, we would have had it."
Colorado is playing six of its next eight on the road, where it is 6-7-5 this season, but the Avs will follow tonight's tilt in Chicago with a two-game homestand. The Avalanche will welcome Ottawa and Dallas before kicking off a five-game road trip Monday in Washington.
Varlamov will get the call against Chicago tonight. He boasts strong career numbers in this series, going 7-3-0 with a 2.20 GAA in 11 outings versus the Blackhawks.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.