Eurolanche

Looking Ahead: Los Angeles

A visit from the Los Angeles Kings may not provide much relief, either.

The Avalanche will try to end their worst home start to a season by halting a five-game slide to the Kings on Sunday night.

Colorado (6-4-0) has won six of seven on the road, but has been outscored 9-2 while losing all three home games in regulation. It's the Avalanche's longest home losing streak to start a season. They went six games without a win in 2002-03, but three of those were ties.

Their issues at home continued with Friday's 3-1 loss to Edmonton despite outshooting the Oilers 41-19.

"It's frustrating," right wing David Jones said. "We played pretty well most of the game. We put pucks on this goalie. Unfortunately, we had a couple of breakdowns at our end.”

"It was a tough one. We still can take some positives on this game. It was one of those games where a couple of bounces went their way. Their goalie stood on his head and played a great game."

Jones has been a key component to the Avalanche's unbalanced efforts, compiling all of his team-leading five goals as well as one assist on the road.

That's also been the case against Los Angeles (6-2-3). Jones has three goals and one assist in seven career meetings with the Kings, but only the assist has come in four games in Denver.

Colorado is 1-6-2 in its past nine matchups with Los Angeles, losing three in a row at home and five straight overall.

Jonathan Quick has been a key part of the Kings' success, though it's unclear if he'll get the start in the opener of this season series.

He's 7-0-0 with a 2.58 goals-against average and two shutouts in eight games against the Avalanche, winning three of four starts at Pepsi Center.

Backup Jonathan Bernier has yet to face Colorado, and has lost both of his starts this season behind a 3.55 GAA.

Quick gave up a goal with 43.7 seconds left in overtime Sunday, getting beat on a deflected shot from a sharp angle in a 3-2 loss at Phoenix.

"We played well enough to win the game," coach Terry Murray said.

Anze Kopitar leads the Kings with five goals and 13 points, getting a goal and two assists in the last two games. The center has a point in all five road games, collecting seven.

He's totaled eight goals and 14 assists in 20 career meetings with the Avalanche, including four and six, respectively, at Colorado.

Mike Richards is trying to show some consistency in front of the net after ending an eight-game goal drought against the Coyotes. However, he's tied with Kopitar with a team-leading eight assists, getting three in a 5-3 victory at Dallas on Thursday that opened this three-game trip.

The center has two goals and five assists in his past four games versus the Avalanche.

-by Brian Compton for NHL.com-