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Get your game notes: Avalanche at Penguins

Sidney Crosby

Should be a good one tonight in Pittsburgh between the host Penguins and surprising Colorado Avalanche. The game can be seen on NBCSN (TSN2 in Canada) starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:

----- The Pittsburgh Penguins are 5-0-0 on home ice this season and have scored 18 home goals (5th most in the NHL), three apiece by Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Jussi Jokinen. As a team, the Avalanche have allowed only four goals on the road, and are tied with the Boston Bruins for the fewest road goals allowed/game (1.00).

----- Since the CONSOL Energy Center opened before the 2010-11 season, the Penguins have the most home wins in the NHL: (Pittsburgh – 77; Chicago, San Jose – 73; St. Louis – 72; Vancouver – 71)

----- The Avalanche are 4-0-0 on the road (two wins short of the franchise record to start a season, six in 2011-12), where they have outscored their opponents by a 13-4 margin. However, the Avs have not won in Pittsburgh since a 5-3 victory on Jan. 24, 2004 (3 consecutive regulation losses). In that game, two Penguins rookies, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (five goals allowed) and Brooks Orpik (1st career NHL goal), and Avalanche forward Alex Tanguay (zero points), suited up for their respective teams.

----- In a head-to-head comparison of number one overall draft picks from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (2013) has one goal and six assists through his first eight NHL games. Through eight games of his rookie season (2005-06), Penguins center Sidney Crosby (2005) had two goals and nine assists.

----- Sidney Crosby is off to the best start of his career through eight games (seven goals, 10 assists). His 2.13 points/game is 0.70 higher than his career average (1.43). Since 1995-96, when Mario Lemieux (2.30) became the most recent player to average more than two points/game over a season (min. 70 games), three of the top five spots for scoring average in a single season are held by Penguins.
1. Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins, 2000-01, 1.61 points/game (122 points in 76 games)
2. Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins, 1998-99, 1.57 points/game (127 points in 81 games)
3. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks, 2005-06, 1.54 points/game (125 points in 81 games)
4. Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, 2006-07, 1.52 points/game (120 points in 79 games)
5. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, 2009-10, 1.51 points/game (109 points in 72 games)

----- Coming off a 4-2 defeat of Buffalo on Saturday, Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2-0-0, 1.00 GAA, .971 save%) is slated to tend the Avalanche net for the second consecutive game. The 2003 Conn Smythe Trophy winner has not backstopped Colorado to consecutive wins since Feb. 7 and Feb. 10, 2012.

----- Avalanche forward Matt Duchene has six goals in first eight games. In four previous NHL seasons, he never had more than two goals in his first 10 games of a season. Dating back to last season, the Avs are 7-0-0 in their last seven games when Duchene lights the lamp.

----- By starting his NHL head coaching career with six consecutive wins, Patrick Roy matched the NHL record held by his former coach in Montreal, Mario Tremblay (1995-96). Right below the Hall of Fame goaltender and Tremblay on the list, with five wins apiece, are Roy’s first coach with the Avalanche, Marc Crawford (1994-95, Quebec), and Bep Guidolin (1972-73, Boston).