The Colorado Avalanche are 1-4-1 and in second-to-last place in the Central Division.
The only team below the Avs in the division, the Winnipeg Jets, are 1-4-0.
The early struggles of both teams have been well-documented here on PHT (we wrote yesterday on the Jets).
Tonight, though, each club has an excellent opportunity to notch a much-needed victory. The Avs are hosting the Florida Panthers (1-2-2); the Jets the Carolina Hurricanes (0-2-2).
The flip-side is that a loss would only add to the pressure that each side is clearly feeling.
For Colorado, converting on chances will be one of the main focuses tonight.
“We had 10 good scoring chances (Saturday in Montreal) and of the 10, seven of them missed the net,” coach Patrick Roy said, per UPI. “We have to be much better around their net and put more pucks on their net to make their goalie work a little more.”
For Winnipeg, the team’s issues are being sold by coach Paul Maurice as an “opportunity.”
“Not happy being 1-4, but there is an opportunity with this group to handle it a certain way,” said Maurice, per the Winnipeg Free Press. “And most importantly identify it, talk about it, communicate the concepts of what the adversity you are facing is now and why we’re facing this adversity and what has to happen to change it.”
Related: Jets’ Maurice apologizes for using the F-bomb at a reporter