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DENVER — The sense of urgency for a return to winning Avalanche hockey has reached new heights.
Colorado practiced Friday fresh off a 10-day road trip that concluded with four defeats and one win. It piled on to a miserable stretch in which the Avs have lost 10 of 12 games. They haven't won in consecutive outings since late November and are trending toward mediocrity at 21-18-8.
Now, just three home games — Kings on Saturday, Predators on Monday and Wild on Wednesday — stand between the Avs and the All-Star break to establish momentum before the NHL season's second half.