"The Nashville Predators? and Calgary Flames? have the Avalanche's numbers.

Big, nasty numbers if you're a Colorado fan.

Like the Flames, who have won nine consecutive games against the Avs, including four this season, the Predators have dominated their series with Colorado. Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Avs was Nashville's sixth straight and eighth in the past nine games.

The second of four games between the teams this season is Thursday at Nashville.

"They are a very disciplined team when they have the lead," Avs captain Milan Hejduk? said of the Preds, who built a 3-0 lead. "That was definitely the case tonight.""