(My Sportsbook) - The Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche will both play their first games after the All-Star break tonight, when the teams meet at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

Both the Blackhawks and Avalanche lost back-to-back games heading into the All-Star break.

Chicago played last Thursday against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets and were handed a shutout. Backstopped by Pascal Leclaire, who made 30 saves, the Blue Jackets blanked the Blackhawks, 1-0, at the United Center.

Nikolai Khabibulin allowed just the one goal on 27 shots for Chicago, which has dropped two straight on the heels of a four-game win streak. The struggling netminder fell to 0-7 in the month of January, but the Blackhawks have managed to score just 10 goals in those games, while allowing 28.

Khabibulin is rumored to be on the trading block with the improved play recently of Patrick Lalime, who has won four of his last five outings.

The Blackhawks are opening their longest road trip of the season tonight and are just 10-10-3 as the visiting team this season. Chicago will continue the seven-game swing Saturday in San Jose.

Colorado, meanwhile, lost three of its last four contests heading into the break and is coming off last Thursday's close setback to visiting Minnesota. Pavol Demitra notched the game-winning tally late in the second period as the Wild edged Colorado, 3-2, at the Pepsi Center.

Andrew Brunette and Wojtek Wolski scored for the Avalanche. Jose Theodore allowed three goals on 37 shots, falling to 4-2-1 in his last seven starts.

Colorado is 1-2-1 on a spread-out five-game homestand that ends tonight. The Avalanche are 17-8-1 as the host team this year, but have dropped six of their last eight in the Mile High City.

After tonight, the Avs will play four of their next five games on the road and 10 of the club's 14 contests in February will be as the guest.

Chicago has won both of its meetings with Colorado so far this year and has won four of the last six in the series. The Blackhawks have also won two of their last three in Denver.