Pacific champ Ducks go for sweep of Avs
The official game preview Anaheim Ducks vs Colorado Avalanche.Season series: The Anaheim Ducks have defeated the Colorado Avalanche twice, each by a score of 3-2. Ducks forward Corey Perry scored 1:25 into overtime in the most recent win at Honda Center on March 20. Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov has allowed six goals on 73 shots.
Avalanche team scope: Colorado's chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs took a hit when it lost 5-1 to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. The Avalanche (82 points) are eight points behind the Los Angeles Kings (90) for the second wild card from the Western Conference. Colorado also trails the Dallas Stars (84), Sharks (85) and Winnipeg Jets (90) with five games remaining.
"We want to win all of them," forward Matt Duchene told the Denver Post. "You never know. We want to give ourselves a chance still. Until we're mathematically eliminated, we want to win games. And even after that, we have a lot of pride in here, a lot of character. We're going to win for ourselves and for our fans the rest of the way." The Avalanche wrap up a three-game road trip Saturday against the Kings before finishing the season with three home games.
Ducks team scope: Forward Ryan Kesler, who was scratched Wednesday to rest an arm injury, is likely to return, coach Bruce Boudreau told the Orange County Register. Defenseman Clayton Stoner, who has missed the past two games because of a lower-body injury, also may play. Anaheim clinched its third straight Pacific Division title Wednesday by defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 at Honda Center.
"Not taking anything away, but we've had a fairly good lead for a while now. It would be more surprising if we didn't get the division. Business as usual," Boudreau said after the win. Forward Jakob Silfverberg had a career-high three assists. "I feel like the last couple of games I've been playing pretty good, it's just not showing up in the scoresheet and obviously tonight I felt pretty good," Silfverberg said.
-- by Benjamin Zweiman for NHL.com --
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03/04/2015 - 16:30
