Avs' home fires not burning

Team's record at Pepsi Center only 10th best in West

Pat Rooney, Special To The Rocky

Published February 3, 2007 at midnight

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Home cooking has not been particularly tasty for the Avalanche.

If the club wants to gain footing in the crowded kitchen that is the playoff picture in the Western Conference, that will have to change.

A five-game homestand shortly on the heels of the league's All-Star break seemed as if it could have been a gift from the NHL's schedule-makers.

Yet if the Avalanche continues to lose at home, as it did Thursday to the Minnesota Wild, chances are the players will be sitting in their respective homes once the postseason begins, regretting the lost opportunity this stretch afforded.

The Avalanche, trying to claw its way into the playoff picture, will play the third game of its five-game home set when it takes on Northwest Division rival Edmonton today at the Pepsi Center (1 p.m., Altitude).

"This whole homestand is a must for us," Avalanche forward Andrew Brunette said. "We've got to get points against the rest of the teams we are playing here. We didn't (Thursday), but we've got to find a way to get them."

Edmonton, which lost Thursday at Vancouver, and the Avalanche are tied for last place in the logjammed Northwest Division, but both squads remain squarely in the playoff hunt. Tied with 54 points, the Oilers and Avalanche are six points behind Minnesota in the division and are chasing the Wild for the Western Conference's final playoff berth.

The homestand began promisingly enough, as the Avalanche beat Nashville 4-3 on Tuesday, but the Wild scored two consecutive third-period goals to win Thursday.

Although the Avalanche has suffered only one regulation loss in its past five home games, better success at home will be crucial for a team that will be on the road much of the final two months of the regular season.

Once the Avalanche completes the homestand next week against Florida and Atlanta, 28 games will remain. Only 10 will be played at the Pepsi Center and, after the last full week of February, the Avalanche will not enjoy consecutive games at home until the final two games of the regular season.

The Avalanche enters its game today ranked 10th in the conference with a home mark of 14-11-3.

"We're playing desperate teams, too. They are going to bring their 'A' games, too," forward Ian Laperriere said. "I think if we can play like we did (Thursday) but find a way to get points, we'll be fine.

"It's frustrating. You get a couple wins together and you look down and you're still in that ninth spot."

About this time last season, the Avalanche put together a streak in which it recorded points in eight of nine games, solidifying its playoff position. A similar push probably would reap the same benefit this year, but winning streaks have been hard to come by.

Colorado has won a season- best three games in a row on two occasions. Edmonton has not won three consecutive games since early December.

"I think we've got a lot of confidence as a group, but a six- or seven-game winning streak hasn't materialized," coach Joel Quenneville said. "In order to do that, you have to take it one game at a time and play to win that game. We were hoping to do that on this homestand, but certainly (Thursday) was very disappointing. We did some good things going into (today), and those are the areas we have to build upon. It's one game at a time, and (today's) game, there's none bigger than that one."

Oilers at Avalanche

• When: 1 p.m. today.

• Where: Pepsi Center.

• TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-AM (950).

• Leading scorers

Edmonton (25-23-4) G A P

LW Ryan Smyth 26 17 43

RW Petr Sykora 18 22 40

RW Ales Hemsky 8 32 40

C Shawn Horcoff 9 23 32

LW Raffi Torres 10 16 26

Coach: Craig MacTavish

Colorado (25-22-4) G A P

C Joe Sakic 21 34 55

LW Andrew Brunette 19 27 46

C Paul Stastny 14 26 40

LW Wojtek Wolski 17 20 37

RW Milan Hejduk 16 17 33

Coach: Joel Quenneville

• Injuries: Edmonton-C Jarret Stoll (concussion) is out; D Daniel Tjarnqvist (groin) is questionable. Colorado - LW Brad May (shoulder surgery), D John-Michael Liles (broken foot) and D Patrice Brisebois (back surgery) are on injured reserve.

• Sidelight: Liles and May still are expected to return by the end of the homestand, which concludes next week against Florida and Atlanta, but neither player will suit up today. Liles did not practice Friday and will be re-examined Monday.

• Notes: Avalanche goaltender Peter Budaj is expected to start tonight for the 15th time in the past 16 games. . . . Oilers center Jarret Stoll, the team's fourth-leading scorer, with 39 points, was sent back to Edmonton after being injured during a loss at Vancouver on Thursday. . . . The Avalanche has killed 24 of 26 penalties in the past six games. . . . The division rivals have played five games this season but none since Dec. 19, a relative eternity in the modern NHL schedule. . . . Edmonton won the first two meetings, but Colorado scored 18 goals while winning the next three. . . . Brunette recorded the first hat trick of his career, scoring three goals on power plays to lead Colorado to a 7-6 victory Dec. 19 at Edmonton.

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