AVALANCHE NOTES CENTRAL DIVISION/WILD CARD STANDINGS HOME SWEET HOME: The Avs are 13-1-1 in their last 15 games at Pepsi TEAM GP W L OT PTS Center, which includes Colorado's best 14-game stretch ever at home (13-1- 65 42 14 9 93 0). The Avs are 23-8-2 on home ice this season, tied for the fourth-most wins Jets 65 39 17 9 87 in the NHL, and the club's most home victories since 2014-15 (23-15-3). The 66 37 22 7 81 club's 3.66 goals-per-game average at home is tied for second in the NHL. WILD CARD

Dallas Stars 66 37 23 6 80 WHO TO WATCH: Entering tonight's game against the Blackhawks, Matt Nieto has a career-long three-game goal streak, Nathan MacKinnon has a 66 36 25 5 77 five-game point streak (6g, 6a), Mikko Rantanen is on a four-game (3g, 5a) 65 35 24 6 76 run, and Carl Soderberg owns a three-game point streak (1g, 3a). St. Louis Blues 66 35 26 5 75 Defenseman Tyson Barrie has a three-game point streak (2g, 3a) and has 11 67 32 25 10 74 points (3g, 8a) in his last seven contests. Blackhawks 66 26 30 8 64

HIGH FIVE: After going 10 years without a player recording five points in a AVALANCHE LEADERS game, the Avs now have four 5-point efforts this year, their most since Category Player No. producing six such outings during the inaugural 1995-96 campaign. Goals Nathan MacKinnon 31 UPCOMING GAMES Assists Nathan MacKinnon 46 Tuesday, March 6 at Points Nathan MacKinnon 77 , 6:30 p.m. MT, TV: Altitude, Radio: 950 AM Power-Play Goals Nathan MacKinnon 11 The Avalanche opens a short two-game road trip in Chicago on Penalty Minutes Nikita Zadorov 68 Tuesday, the second of four meetings between the Central Time on Ice/Game 25:43 Division-rivals and the first of two in Chicago. The clubs will GWG Nathan MacKinnon 10 clash three times this month: at United Center on Mar. 20 and SHG Blake Comeau 3 once more at Pepsi Center on Mar. 30 to close out the 2017-18 Goals Against Avg. Jonathan Bernier 2.82 season series. Save Percentage Jonathan Bernier .914

Thursday, March 8 at PLAYER SPOTLIGHT Nationwide Arena, 5 p.m. MT, TV: Altitude, Radio: 950 AM Nathan MacKinnon The Avs and Blue Jackets wrap up their two-game season series Position: Center on Thursday night at Nationwide Arena. Colorado won the first Height: 6’0 matchup 2-0 on Jan. 4 in , backed by a 34-save Weight: 205 lbs. performance by Jonathan Bernier. The Avalanche has won three Shoots: Right of the last four and earned points in five of the last six meetings Born: September 1, 1995 as the road team in the series. Birthplace: Halifax, NS

Saturday, March 10 vs. MacKinnon was named the NHL’s first star of the Pepsi Center, 1 p.m. MT, TV: Altitude, Radio: 950 AM week on Monday after recording 11 points (5g, 6a) in The Avalanche will honor and recognize military service four games to help the Avs earn seven of a possible eight points on their four-game homestand. It’s the members at its annual Military Appreciation game on Saturday third time MacKinnon has earned one of the NHL’s afternoon against the Arizona Coyotes. It’s the third and final Three Stars of the Week in 2017-18, the first time a matchup of the season between the teams, who have split the Colorado player has had three weekly honors since first two games of the series with each team winning on the Craig Anderson in 2009-10. MacKinnon leads the road. NHL with 1.35 points-per-game. PRACTICE SCHEDULE QUOTABLE Day Date Location Time Tuesday Mar. 6 Game #66 at Chicago Blackhawks 6:30 p.m. "Your first line has got to be driving the boat, and we are making sure that we are leading. That's Wednesday Mar. 7 No practice what we kind of wanted to do tonight, just come Thursday Mar. 8 Game #67 at Columbus Blue Jackets 5 p.m. out and lead the charge right off the get go and we Friday Mar. 9 Practice at Family Sports 11 a.m. did that." Saturday Mar. 10 Game #68 vs. Arizona Coyotes 1 p.m. —Avalanche Captain Sunday Mar. 11 Avalanche Charity Brunch following the team’s 7-1 win over the Minnesota Monday Mar. 12 Practice at Family Sports 11 a.m. Wild

*All practice dates/times are subject to change, all times Mountain