Avalanche at Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks have embraced the new calendar year with a 7-1-1 mark to ascend to the top of the Pacific Division while the Colorado Avalanche have been snowed in shortly after the start of the season. The Ducks look to topple the reeling Avalanche for the second time in a week when the clubs meet at the Honda Center on Thursday.
Rickard Rakell scored in Anaheim's 4-1 romp over Colorado at the Pepsi Center last Thursday and added his team-leading 19th goal and third in four games in Tuesday's 2-1 overtime triumph over Tampa Bay. "Ricky can really hurt the opposition and make a contribution, and not really have a lot of chances. That's the art of a guy who can snipe," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said of the 23-year-old Swede. The art of the downfall is being played out in horrific fashion in the Rocky Mountains as Colorado suffered its 20th loss in 24 outings (4-19-1) with a 6-4 setback to Chicago on Tuesday. "Right now, we're not playing for a whole heck of a lot other than pride," Matt Duchene told the Denver Post after scoring twice to raise his team-leading goal total to 15.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Altitude2 (Colorado), PRIME (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (13-28-1): Semyon Varlamov (6-17-0, 3.38 goals-against average) returned from a groin injury to turn aside 28 shots in the first meeting with Anaheim, but the 28-year-old Russian aggravated the ailment versus the Blackhawks and will not be returning to the crease for at least another two weeks. "We're going to shut (Varlamov) down until after the All-Star break (Jan. 27-30). This is no longer a day-to-day thing," coach Jared Bednar told the team's website of Varlamov, who is just a few seasons removed from leading the NHL with 41 wins and finishing second in the Vezina Trophy voting. Colorado, which is expected to take a long look at Calvin Pickard (7-11-1, 3.06 GAA), recalled fellow netminder Spencer Martin from San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (25-13-9): Rakell's lightning strike 54 seconds into overtime didn't just end Tuesday's tilt, but it provided a bit of optimism for an ailing power play that was just 1-for-27 before his tally. "We were still confident. We expect and we think that we're going to win every time," Rakell told the Orange County Register. "It was nothing new really, but it sure gives us a little confidence boost when you get on the power play. I kind of had a feeling we were going to score." John Gibson has yielded 11 goals in his last eight games (6-1-1), highlighted by the 23-year-old's 33-save performance against Colorado last week.
OVERTIME
1. Colorado C Nathan MacKinnon scored in the first meeting with Anaheim and recorded his fourth multi-point performance in his last 10 games (three goals, six assists) on Tuesday.
2. The Ducks' Cam Fowler leads the team's defensemen with nine goals and 23 points, although he has just one point in his last 14 contests.
3. Avalanche D Tyson Barrie has one goal and nine assists in his last 10 games.