Eurolanche

Hawks to play without Toews against Avs

Season series: The Chicago Blackhawks lost the first game against the Colorado Avalanche, but are 2-1-0 after winning the past two. This is the final regular-season game. Captain Jonathan Toews and right wing Patrick Kane lead Chicago through the first three games. Kane has five points (three goals) and Toews has four points (two goals). Matt Duchene leads Colorado with three goals and three assists.

Blackhawks (33-16-4) team scope: Chicago will play without Toews, who serves a one-game suspension for missing the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game. Toews, who didn't practice Monday, was allotted a spot on the Central Division roster, but didn't take part because of illness. Teuvo Teravainen was in his spot on the top line at practice. Goalie Corey Crawford is expected to start. Crawford was named the NHL's Second Star for January after going 9-2-0 with a 1.64 goals-against average, .952 save percentage and two shutouts in the month, but went into the All-Star break with a tough outing. He allowed three goals on 16 shots and was pulled in the first period of Chicago's 5-0 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 26. The Blackhawks have lost their past three road games by a combined margin of 11-1, but hope the time off provides energy needed to end that streak. They played 14 games in 26 days in January and have already played 53 games, most in the NHL. Chicago, which practiced Monday in Colorado, held just one off-day practice in January.

Avalanche (27-22-3) team scope: Goalie Calvin Pickard will make his third straight start in net. "We trust Picks," coach Patrick Roy told the Avalanche website after practice Monday. "I think he's been doing a good job for us, and we are confident he's going to play well for us [Tuesday]." Roy also said Jarome Iginla, Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon would play on a line, and that Alex Tanguay, a healthy scratch in their last game, will skate with Chris Wagner and Mikhail Grigorenko. Defenseman Brad Stuart had back surgery and will be out indefinitely, Roy said. After starting the season 9-14-1, the Avalanche have gone 18-8-2 in their past 28 games and currently hold the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Colorado defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 at Staples Center in its final game before the break and has won five of its past six.

-- by Brian Hedger for NHL.com --