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(Sports Network) - After finishing as the bottom two teams in the Western Conference a season ago, both the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings will be trying to better their playoff positioning tonight when they begin a home-and-home set at Staples Center.

The Kings come into this contest one point up on the Avalanche for the Western Conference's sixth seed with one game in hand. And while Colorado will be looking to overtake Los Angeles in this key set, the Kings are just two points back of the fifth-place Predators in the standings with three games in hand.

Los Angeles has won just three of its last eight games but is coming off Saturday's 1-0 victory over the New York Islanders. Brad Richardson scored with 6:25 left in the first period and Jonathan Quick made it stand up with 26 saves.

"There are things that do not end up on a score sheet but are invaluable to a team," Quick said. "I think it was a great game, a great third period. Having the lead and not giving it up, and the way we played, the way we killed penalties gives the team a little boost of confidence after these past two games."

Quick's fourth shutout of the season and eighth of his career improved the Kings to 1-2-0 on a four-game homestand and 20-12-3 as the host club this season. Los Angeles is now also 27-0-0 when leading after two periods.

One of Quick's four whitewashes this year came at the expense of the Avalanche, a 3-0 victory at Staples Center on Feb. 13 in the first meeting of the season between the clubs. Los Angeles will visit Colorado on Wednesday before the two teams close out their respective regular seasons in Denver on April 11.

The Avalanche have lost two straight but also just three of their last nine to the Kings overall. Colorado has also won five of its last eight in Los Angeles.

The Avs will try to snap a two-game slide tonight as they look to avoid their first three-game skid since Jan. 28-31. After a one-goal setback to Calgary on Wednesday, Colorado dropped a 5-2 decision in Anaheim on Sunday.

Darcy Tucker and Ruslan Salei each had a goal for the Avalanche, while Paul Stastny had his nine-game point streak come to an end. Stastny had notched five goals and 11 helpers over his impressive run.

"We've got to be better at the start," said Colorado captain Adam Foote. "At this time of year, teams are coming out of the gates playing hard."

Craig Anderson was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots in 32-plus minutes and Peter Budaj made 13 saves the rest of the way. It is unknown who will be in net tonight but Anderson stopped 20-of-23 shots faced in the loss to the Kings earlier this season.

Colorado, which is also six points back of first-place Vancouver in the Northwest Division with a game in hand, has lost five of its last eight on the road.