*8* play on the Colorado Avalanche.

The Colorado Avalanche will be looking to bounce back from a pair of losses against Chicago and Tampa Bay when they host the New Jersey Devils Thursday night. The visitors are in even worse shape though with only one win in their last five, and I like the Avs to win in front of the home-town crowd tonight.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. The Devils' Goalscoring Woes - New Jersey has totaled six goals in its last five games while failing to convert on any of its 12 chances to play with the man advantage in that span. Their leading goalscorer Mike Cammalleri will miss his his seventh straight game tonight.

2. Previous Meetings - To say that the Avs have the Devils' number would be a massive understatement as Colorado is 8-0-1 in the last nine meetings and has won five straight in the series.

3. X-Factor - The Devils are 12-8-0 on the road this season, but the Avs are 6-1 in their last seven when hosting a team with a winning road record.

Selection: This is a play on the Colorado Avalanche (8*)