The Colorado Avalanche are looking to take advantage of a home-heavy stretch and figure to have the right club visiting them next. Billy Turner Jersey . The Edmonton Oilers will try to avoid a team-worst 12-game road slide in the first meeting between the Western Conferences two last-place teams Friday night. Colorado (14-15-8) beat Philadelphia 4-3 at home in overtime Wednesday on Ryan OReillys winner. OReilly has four points in his last four games to bring his season total to 21. Scoring a goal and contributing to a win is something Ive been missing a lot lately, so definitely to have that is a relief and something Ive got to continue to bring, OReilly said. The Avalanche, last in the Central Division, began a stretch of five home games out of six. We have five of our next six games at home and I thought it was important to start with a win, coach Patrick Roy said. Hopefully that will bring some confidence to our team. Confidence is in short supply for Edmonton (8-22-8), owner of the worst record in the league. The Oilers are 2-14-7 in their last 23. I think this team is pretty fragile right now, said winger Matt Fraser, claimed off waivers from Boston on Monday. I heard it a long time ago that losing can be contagious, and part of that, being a new guy in here coming from an organization like Boston, is youve got to bring that element of your game when youre not content with losing. Edmonton is 0-6-5 on its road slide after Wednesdays 4-3 overtime loss to Calgary. That matches the team record of 11 straight defeats set Dec. 23, 2009-Feb. 20, 2010, with all of those coming in regulation. Fraser scored on the power play as the Oilers were 1 for 3 after going 0 for 26 in their previous 12 road games. Edmonton has an NHL-worst 6.5 percent mark on the power play away from home. The Oilers are giving up 3.39 non-shootout goals per game for the leagues worst average, while the Avalanche allow an average of 34.0 shots on goal at home to rank last in the West. Edmonton has blown two-goal leads in its last two games, recovering to win 3-2 in a shootout over Los Angeles on Tuesday. Right now I love our starts, said winger Jordan Eberle, who ended a nine-game goal drought Wednesday. I love the way were competing for 40 minutes. It seems like the last two games, weve almost let them come at us and weather the storm and thats not how you win hockey games in this league. Edmontons Ben Scrivens is 0-4-4 with a 3.95 goals-against average in eight road starts while backup Viktor Fasth has an NHL-worst 3.50 overall GAA. Colorados Semyon Varlamovs eight regulation defeats against the Oilers match his most against any opponent. He is 1-4-0 with a 4.69 GAA in his last five starts versus them. The Avs took two of three from Edmonton last season. Game Notes: COL was 2-1-0 vs EDM last season COL has gone 4-2-0 past 6 at home vs EDM Colorado: 1-2-0 past 3 games, 11GA (won last), 6/10 on PK MacKinnon (0PTS) last 2 games Edmonton: 1-0-1 past 2 games, 5GF, 1/6 on PP Hall (2A) past 2 games David Beverly Jersey . Despite Barcelona showing the same vulnerability in defence, Messis best performance since returning from a lengthy injury layoff ensured that his side bounced back from a defeat by Valencia in the previous round. Blake Martinez Jersey . Locke overcame a shaky start to pitch seven innings and Josh Harrison had three hits to extend his hot streak as the Pirates beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Wednesday night.VANCOUVER -- Canada has set a goal of finishing first in the overall medal standings at the Sochi Winter Olympics. Snowboarders will in all likelihood have to play a key role if theres any chance of meeting that lofty target. The first five members of the Canadian contingent heading to Sochi next month were unveiled Friday, led by a three-time Olympian and an unlikely superstar from the Prairies. "We definitely have an amazing group and an amazing team and to be a part of it is great," said Maelle Ricker, who won gold in snowboard cross at the 2010 Olympics. "We have strong athletes in all the disciplines and Im very honoured and excited." Sochi will be Rickers third Games, but at age 35, the West Vancouver, B.C., native is still seen as a favourite in her event where competitors race down a course side-by-side. "I would love to perform at my best (again)," she said after Fridays news conference. "Definitely every time I put my snowboard on thats what Im aiming to do and hopefully we get some good results because of it." Apart from Ricker, another Canadian expected to contend for a medal is Mark McMorris. The 20-year-old from Regina is the two-time defending Winter X Games champion in slopestyle, an acrobatic snowboard discipline set to make its Olympic debut in Sochi. "It feels amazing," McMorris said of being named to the Canadian team. "Its going to be a fun time. Ive been preparing like a mad man and I think Im ready." Other rookie Olympians named to Canadas squad were Sebastien Toutant of LAssomption, Que., Spencer OBrien of Courtenay, B.C., and Calgarys Chris Robanske. Toutant and OBrien will compete in slopestyle, while Robanske is entered in snowboard cross. The rest of the team will be named Jan. 21. Canada won 26 medals -- including three in snowboard -- at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, good for third behind the United States (37) and Germany (30). An even bigger performance will be required in Russia to accomplish the Canadian Olympic Committees goal of finishing first. "If we say we dont want to be No. 1, were striving for mediocrity and were not going to do that. We will strive to be the best," said Canadian chef de mmission Steve Podborski, who won bronze in mens downhill skiing at the 1980 Olympics. Lynn Dickey Jersey. "When we went into (the 2006 Games), we had no notion that we could strive to be No. 1 and now we are looking at that. "So why not? Its going to be tough, maybe impossible, but you strive for impossible dreams." The laid-back McMorris doesnt put any added emphasis on his own performance when overall team goals are mentioned. "Whenever anybody looks at you to win theres pressure," he said. "Ive been able to have a lot of success over the last three years and consistently podium or win events. "Im in one event and my goal is to win a gold medal and if I do so, that will be a big help." With the Olympics set to begin Feb. 7, OBrien said shes looking forward to being part of a team after competing for years as an individual. "Theres definitely a lot of expectations, especially on me, Mark, Seb, Maelle, everyone thats been performing so well these last of couple years," said the 25-year-old. "I think its really special. Its a unique experience to have your country behind you." OBrien won gold in womens slopestyle at last years world championship, but added the Games are on another level. "An Olympic medal, youre winning it for your country, youre not just winning it for yourself," she said. "Its such a special opportunity and Id like nothing more than to bring one back to Canada." The Olympics werent even on the 21-year-old Toutants radar until it was announced that slopestyle would be included at Sochi. "Were used to competing in front of a lot of people and a lot of cameras, but we compete for sponsors and we compete for ourselves," he said. "To be able to compete for your country is huge. "The world is going to be watching." Podborski said there will be "enormous challenges" facing athletes in Sochi, but stressed the level of Canadian sport has come a long way since he competed more than three decades ago. "These athletes are the finest our country can produce," he said. "These are sophisticated, world-class athletes and I expect them to do very, very well." ' ' '