DENVER (AP) — Back in late October, the Colorado Avalanche fell to Carolina at home in a shootout.

They haven't lost in their own building since, reeling off 17 straight wins. The Avalanche are a home win away from matching the team record set by the 2021-22 Stanley Cup-winning squad.

Maybe it's the benefits of playing at elevation — a lung-searing 5,280 feet (1,609 meters) above sea level. Maybe it's the crowd noise. Or maybe, as defenseman Cale Makar believes, the secret behind their home success boils down to something more simple: "Not talking about it,” he said with a chuckle.

Colorado, 2-0 on its seven-game homestand, currently has the sixth-longest home win streak in NHL history. The record is 23 in a row by the 2011-12 Detroit Red Wings.

On top of all that, the Avalanche (19-0-2) have yet to lose at Ball Arena in regulation. Their 21-game home point streak is second in team history to the 2021-22 squad (22 games).

“It’s important that we’re a stingy team at home,” said Makar, whose team has a chance to tie the franchise mark Monday night against Toronto. "Teams have got to know when they come in here they’re going to get our best effort and it’s going to be a tough challenge for them.”

Playing at a higher elevation can be draining for an opponent. Especially a team coming in on the second night of a back-to-back like, say, Ottawa did last Thursday. The speedy Avalanche pushed the pace and raced to an 8-2 victory over the Senators.

Colorado can also grind it out, too. That's what the team did against Columbus on Saturday when its top line, led by Nathan MacKinnon, was kept off the scoresheet. Brent Burns, the 40-year-old defenseman who is chasing his first Stanley Cup title, stepped up with two goals. Also playing a big role was backup goaltender Trent Miner, who stopped 29 shots in the 4-0 win over the Blue Jackets. It was not only Miner's first NHL shutout but his inaugural win.

“It seems like they’re always fired up to play at home,” said Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle, who finished last season with Colorado after being acquired at the trade deadline. “You’re going to get their good game. It’s not going to be a back-and-forth or anything like that. They play well. They play consistent.”

The building is always loud, too. The Avalanche have sold out 174 straight home games, including the postseason.

“We’re comfortable here,” said defenseman Josh Manson, who had a Gordie Howe hat trick with two goals, two assists and a fight against Ottawa. "We can get the momentum behind us and when we get the momentum behind us, with the fans and such, it really helps. We can keep rolling.

“You can make whatever excuses you want about the altitude or whatever, but you add all the factors together, and I think it makes it a pretty tough place to come in to play.”

The Avalanche own the best record (33-4-7, 73 points) in the league and entered Sunday with a 12-point cushion on the next closest teams, which just so happen to be their Central Division rivals, Dallas and Minnesota.

Colorado is missing some key players, too, with captain Gabriel Landeskog (upper body), goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body), defenseman Devon Toews (upper body) and forward Joel Kiviranta (lower body) all sidelined. Logan O'Connor has yet to play this season as he makes his way back from offseason hip surgery.

“I’m proud of what our team has done to this point,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "But as a coach, you’re always kind of like, ‘OK, what’s next?’

“You've got to prove yourself every day in this league, right? It’s never about what you’ve done. I love the first half we've had, but that’s what it was — the first half. It doesn’t guarantee you anything tonight or in the second half or in the playoffs."

Tim Hardaway Jr. scores 25 points, Aaron Gordon adds 23 and Nuggets beat Bucks 108-104

DENVER (AP) — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points, Aaron Gordon had 23 and the injury-ravaged Denver Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 108-104 on Sunday night.

Peyton Watson had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets. Over his team’s past seven games, the fourth-year guard has been averaging 23.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Zeke Nnaji added 14 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

Denver was without five of its top eight scorers, including Nikola Jokic (bone bruise in left knee) and Jamal Murray (sprained left ankle). The five sidelined players are averaging a combined 84.6 points per game this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Bucks. Myles Turner scored 16 points while Bobby Portis and AJ Green added 14 apiece. Ryan Rollins was held to two points, snapping a career-best streak of 37 consecutive games with at least 10 points.

Denver had lost five of eight after a 22-8 start, including a 3-4 mark since Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, went down in a Dec. 29 loss at the Miami Heat.

The Bucks trailed by 15 in the first half and by 11 entering the fourth quarter before trimming their deficit to 105-102, but missed two game-tying 3-point attempts from Rollins and Green in the final 20 seconds. Gordon, the lone regular starter available for the Nuggets, made three free throws in the final 9 seconds to seal the victory.

Entering the night, Milwaukee had been 5-2 in its past seven games after starting the season 12-19.

Up next

Nuggets: At New Orleans on Tuesday night.

Bucks: Host Minnesota on Tuesday night.