San Jose plays Colorado for conference showdown

San Jose Sharks (7-5-1, seventh in the Pacific) vs. Colorado Avalanche (5-5-1, fifth in the Central)

Denver; Saturday, 9 p.m. EST

LINE: Avalanche -206, Sharks +170; over/under is 6

BOTTOM LINE: Colorado hosts San Jose in Western Conference action.

The Avalanche are 4-2-0 in Western Conference games. Colorado has scored 36 goals and ranks sixth in the Western Conference averaging 3.3 goals per game. J.T. Compher leads the team with six.

The Sharks are 3-3-0 in Western Conference play. San Jose is ninth in the Western Conference averaging 2.8 goals per game, led by Tomas Hertl with six.

The teams meet Saturday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Gabriel Landeskog has 11 total points for the Avalanche, five goals and six assists. Compher has 10 points over the last 10 games for Colorado.

Logan Couture leads the Sharks with a plus-seven in 12 games this season. Hertl has five goals over the last 10 games for San Jose.

LAST 10 GAMES: Avalanche: 4-5-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.4 assists, 3.5 penalties and 9.8 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game with a .904 save percentage.

Sharks: 4-5-1, averaging 2.6 goals, 4.2 assists, 3.4 penalties and 8.5 penalty minutes while allowing 2.6 goals per game with a .917 save percentage.

INJURIES: Avalanche: Martin Kaut: out (upper body), Nathan MacKinnon: out (lower-body).

Sharks: Jake Middleton: out (covid-19 protocol), Marc-Edouard Vlasic: day to day (health protocols), Radim Simek: out (covid-19 protocol), Matt Nieto: out (covid-19 protocol), Timo Meier: day to day (health protocols), Kevin Labanc: day to day (health protocols).

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