Eurolanche

Ducks try to start new streak versus Avs

Season series: The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 on Oct. 16 when Avalanche goaltender Reto Berra made 35 saves. Nathan MacKinnon scored 53 seconds into the game, and Nick Holden had two assists.

Ducks team scope: Anaheim's 11-game winning streak ended Monday with a 2-1 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals. The Ducks have at least a point in their past 14 games. "We're winning right now, but we're not playing as good as we can. We have to get back to that," coach Bruce Boudreau told the Ducks website. "It's tough to keep winning. It was 11 in a row. Our execution wasn't what it should've been [Monday]." Goalie John Gibson, 4-0-1 in his past five starts, has the lowest goals-against average in the NHL (2.04).

Avalanche team scope: Goaltender Semyon Varlamov will start. Backup Calvin Pickard replaced Varlamov last Tuesday and started two straight games, but Varlamov was in net for a 3-1 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Monday. "It was good for him to take those couple of days off, those couple of games off," coach Patrick Roy told the Avalanche website. "We have the luxury to have [Pickard], and [he] plays really well for us, but I thought [Varlamov] was really solid yesterday. That's what I said to him on the ice [Tuesday] morning, he looked very confident." Defenseman Zack Redmond (lower body) and forward Blake Comeau (back) missed practice, but Roy said he expects them to play.

-- by Kristen Nelson for NHL.com --