Ducks at Avalanche
THE STORY: Two teams battling for a playoff spot in the Western
Conference lock horns Monday when the Colorado Avalanche host the
Anaheim Ducks. Colorado is tied with eighth-place Calgary and
ninth-place Los Angeles in points but has played one more game than
both. The Avalanche are surging at the right time, however, as they have
won seven of 10 overall and six of eight at home. Anaheim has a much
more difficult road to the postseason as it trails Calgary by eight
points with 13 games remaining. The Ducks, who have lost five of seven
following an 8-1-3 run, have scored a total of one goal in losing the
first two games of their three-game road trip.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, TSN2
ABOUT THE DUCKS (29-30-10): Considering Anaheim's playoff hopes
basically are on the line, All-Star Corey Perry almost certainly will be
in the lineup Monday. The reigning Hart Trophy winner injured his
shoulder when he was shoved into the boards while off-balance by Stars
defenseman Stephane Robidas in Saturday's loss at Dallas. Perry is
listed as questionable. "I guess it's just a pain issue," coach Bruce
Boudreau said. "He's a very big cog, obviously." All-Star Jonas Hiller
has made a franchise-record 28 consecutive starts. Center Saku Koivu's
next game will be the 1,000th of his career. Anaheim has dropped four
straight road games but has won six of its last seven visits to
Colorado.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (36-30-4): Gabriel Landeskog
is one shot on goal away from setting a franchise record for a rookie.
The 19-year-old enters Monday tied with Hall of Famer Peter Stastny for
the mark with 232 shots. Semyon Varlamov improved to 7-0 in shootouts
with Saturday's triumph over Edmonton. However, the 23-year-old is not a
big fan of the format. "I really don't like shootouts," he said. "It's a
tough situation for the goalie." Varlamov has allowed only two goals on
21 shots in the shootout. Jamie McGinn has recorded four goals and two
assists in his last four games. The Avalanche, who have won six of eight
at home, will play seven of their final 11 contests on the road.
OVERTIME:
1. Colorado leads the Western Conference with eight shootout victories.
2. The road team has won each of the last five meetings between the clubs.
3. Anaheim has scored two goals or less in each of its last 10 road games.