Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen said staying positive is crucial to getting out of a scoring drought. Colorado lost to the Winnipeg Jets last week at Ball Arena [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/news/nathan-mackinnon-extends-point-streaks-in-avs-4-2-loss-to-jets] and face off against them again at Canada Life Centre on Saturday night. The matchup is the first in a back-to-back, away and home respectively. The loss to Winnipeg was one of two in a five-game homestand in which the Avalanche went through a sort of metamorphosis. The team lost to the Philadelphia Flyers following the Jets — displaying a lack of intensity and energy in both games. Mikko Rantanen was working through a bit of a slump but has come out of it with consecutive three-point games. "You have some tough time playing with the puck and confidence goes down little bit but maybe just takes a bounce or two and that confidence goes back," Rantanen told The Hockey News' Colleen Flynn on Friday after practice. "When you go into a slump you try to look at the game and watch your stuff you do on the ice and maybe learn from — what can you do to be more effective. I was doing that and trying to prepare better." That approach worked for the 27-year-old Finland native as he registered a goal and two assists in his last two games. He said it was important for him to stay positive mentally through a scoring drought and not let that or the team's losses get him down. The Avalanche have incorporated more physicality to their game which has amped up the defensive side of their play. "We have to be physical. We have a lot of big bodies here including myself, lot of new guys are big guys. I feel like the game gets easier for us when we're being more physical and we pump into guys," Rantanen said. "Not every game you have to run a guy through the third row like what Nate (MacKinnon) did last game — it was a great check. Just a little physicality at some point it brings you more offense when you don't have to defend as well." The Jets are two points behind the No. 1 Avalanche in the Central Division but earned a big win against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Their top line combined for 11 points in the 5-2 comeback win but Colorado has shown more depth in its last two wins with goals from multiple scorers throughout the lineup. Ivan Prosvetov started the last 5-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres and played the entire third period of the 6-5 win over the Calgary Flames before that. While he was scheduled to play one of the two in the back-to-back sequence, head coach Jared Bednar apparently is sticking with the hot hand and starting him against the Jets. PROJECTED LINEUP Valeri Nichushkin — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen Jonathan Drouin — Ryan Johansen — Joel Kiviranta Miles Wood — Ross Colton — Logan O'Connor Andrew Cogliano — Fredrik Olofsson — Ben Meyers Devon Toews — Cale Makar Bowen Byram — Josh Manson Jack Johnson — Sam Malinski Ivan Prosvetov Alexandar Georgiev Jets forward Kyle Connor — who scored two goals in the teams' last matchup — is out with a lower-body injury. The puck drops at 5 p.m. MT Saturday night. The Avalanche return to Ball Arena for a 6 p.m. puck drop against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday.
