Ducks score six in second to beat Avs
The official game recap Colorado Avalanche vs. Anaheim Ducks.Frustrated by a four-game losing streak and needing a win to stay in first place in the Pacific Division, the Anaheim Ducks scored six times in the second period and defeated the Colorado Avalanche 6-4 on Friday at Pepsi Center.
Anaheim (44-16-7) maintained its lead in the Pacific Division after the second-place San Jose Sharks (44-17-7) defeated the New York Islanders 4-3. Each team has 95 points, but the Ducks have played one fewer game.
Despite the loss, Colorado (43-19-5) remained in second place in the Central Division with a one-point lead on the Chicago Blackhawks (38-15-14), who lost 3-2 to the Nashville Predators to stay at 90 points.
Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler sustained a lower-body injury and didn't return.
The Avalanche thought they closed within 6-5 with 6:08 to play, but Nathan MacKinnon poked the puck out of the air with a high stick. The goal was immediately waved off and the call stood following a video review.
The Ducks outscored the Avalanche 6-3 in a wild second period to take a 6-4 lead.
Jamie McGinn's power-play goal at 5:21 put the Avalanche ahead 2-1, but the Ducks responded with four consecutive goals on seven shots in a 3:19 span for a 5-2 lead.
Kyle Palmieri scored twice in 47 seconds, breaking in alone on goalie Semyon Varlamov at 7:47 and putting in the rebound of Hampus Lindholm at 8:34. Palmieri started the play by taking the puck away from Avalanche center Marc-Andre Cliche in the corner.
Corey Perry made it 5-2 at 11:53 when he fired the puck from the right point off the end boards. The puck caromed off Varlamov's back and bounced inside the right post.
Avalanche coach Patrick Roy replaced Varlamov, who allowed five goals on 24 shots, with Jean-Sebastien Giguere after Perry's goal, his 36th of the season.
The Avalanche responded with two goals in 33 seconds. McGinn put in the rebound of defenseman Erik Johnson's shot for another power-play goal at 18:08, and Gabriel Landeskog skated through the goalmouth and backhanded the puck under the left arm of Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller at 18:41 to make it 5-4.
But the Ducks came right back and scored with 48.8 seconds to play in the period. Mathieu Perreault eluded two Avalanche defenders in the high slot and put a shot through several bodies into the net.
Colorado's John Mitchell, who signed a three-year, $5.4 million contract extension before the game, opened the scoring at 12:25 of the first period. It was his eighth goal of the season and second in three games since he replaced Paul Stastny (back injury) on a line with Landeskog and MacKinnon.
Hiller made 34 saves to help the Ducks end their four-game skid (0-2-2). Giguere stopped eight of nine shots he faced.
-- by Rick Sadowski for NHL.com --
Eurolanche.com, Worldwide, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
15/03/2014 - 05:00
