Lightning  1    Avalanche  2

Tampa Bay Lightning (11-11-8) at Colorado Avalanche (17-10-6), 9 p.m.

Sports Network | December 11, 2009

(Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Lightning didn't manage any offense when they hosted the Colorado Avalanche 11 days ago. Things won't get any better tonight if they are missing their top two goal scorers.

The Lightning could be without Ryan Malone and Steven Stamkos Friday night when they visit the Avalanche and the Pepsi Center for the start of a six-game road trip.

Tampa Bay was blanked 3-0 by Colorado on November 30, their fifth loss in a row to the Avalanche. The Lightning haven't beaten the Avs since a victory in Denver on March 1, 2004, and have just one win in their last seven trips to Colorado.

They'll likely struggle to break out of that funk at the Pepsi Center if their top offensive weapons can't go.

Both Malone and Stamkos were hurt in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Oilers. Malone got an assist on Martin St. Louis' first-period goal, but didn't finish the frame because of a lower-body injury. Stamkos, meanwhile, exited in the second period due to an upper-body ailment.

Stamkos leads Tampa Bay with 17 goals, while Malone is second with 16. Both players are day-to-day.

"Teams go through injuries," said Lightning head coach Rick Tocchet. "It's our turn and you've got to suck it up. The guys that haven't played much, the guys that have been asking to play more, here's your chance. It's put up or shut up for some of those guys."

Victor Hedman notched his second career goal, with both coming in the last three games, and Mike Smith made 29 saves in Tampa Bay's sixth loss in seven games. The club is also just 4-7-4 on the road this year.

Smith was making his third straight start in net, though it was Antero Niittymaki who took the loss in November to Colorado.

The Avalanche returned home to start a five-game homestand on Monday fresh off a 3-1-1 road trip that began with that win in Tampa. Colorado's return to the Pepsi Center was not a good one, as it was shut out 1-0 by Minnesota.

"We did not get the job done, but I think we worked really hard," said Peter Budaj, who made 21 saves in his fourth straight start since Craig Anderson suffered a neck injury.

Anderson, though, returned to practice on Thursday and could make the start tonight. He halted all 33 shots he saw versus the Lightning earlier to record one of his three shutouts this season.

"He feels like he's ready to go," Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco told the Avs' Web site. "We'll wait until [Friday] morning to see how he responds."

Since winning their first six home games of the season, the Avalanche have lost three straight and five of the last six as the host