Ducks crash net, cash in vs. Avs

Anaheim finishes 3,700-mile trip by beating Colorado

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 13, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.
Updated February 13, 2008 at 8:19 a.m.

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Photo by Doug Pensinger / Getty Images

Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles, right, checks Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday.

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Crash the net and good things usually happen. Only Tuesday night, the strategy turned out bad for the Avalanche against the Anaheim Ducks.

The defending Stanley Cup champions put an end to a nine- game, 15-day odyssey that covered 3,700 air miles with a 2-1 victory at the Pepsi Center, their fifth consecutive victory after losing the first four games.

"It's always nice to end a road trip with a win," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said after center Samuel Pahlsson, playing his second game after missing 21 with an abdominal injury, knocked a deflected puck through a crowd in the crease and behind Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore with 4:21 remaining in the third period.

It was the second tough loss for the Avalanche against the Ducks this season. Back in December at the Honda Center, the Avalanche dropped a 2-1 overtime decision despite a 36-save performance from Peter Budaj.

Theodore was sharp Tuesday, making 27 saves, but Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere was even better. He gave up a goal to Marek Svatos 97 seconds into the game, then shut the door and finished with 32 saves.

"It felt like a playoff game and it was played like a playoff game," Theodore said. "We played hard."

The decisive goal was scored after Rob Niedermayer passed the puck in front from behind the net. The puck bounced off teammate Travis Moen with several bodies surrounding Theodore before Pahlsson, the trailer on the play, banged it inside the left post.

"It's a rebound goal, hard work in front of the net," Pahlsson said. "I didn't see the puck at first; it was three or four guys in front there. I just tried to get it in there and hope to get it on my stick, and that's what happened."

Avalanche left wing Andrew Brunette was among the group of players in front when the puck went into the net.

"They tried passing from behind the net, it went in the air and hit (Moen) going to the net and it was bouncing all over," he said. "The next thing you know, it was in. It was kind of fluky."

The Avalanche scored its only goal at 1:37 of the first period when Svatos put in the rebound of Wojtek Wolski's shot for his team-leading 25th of the season and fifth in the past six games.

But a penalty on Svatos with 8 seconds left in the period for high-sticking Scott Niedermayer and another on Ian Laperriere at the 20-minute mark for playing with a broken stick gave the Ducks a five-on-three power play.

The Ducks took advantage and tied the score at 1:09 of the second period on a goal by Teemu Selanne, his first in five games since re-signing with the team Jan. 28. Selanne was in the left circle when he beat Theodore to the short side.

"When I knew (his stick was broken), I just threw the stick there," Laperriere said. "I kind of blocked a shot and the puck went there. I reacted to go where the puck was and I saw my stick was broken and I threw it down. Those guys, they make those quick calls. It happened so fast out there. It was a tough call and he made that call and we have to live with it. It's part of the game. I was mad. I don't think I played the puck. It had nothing to do with the play."

The Avalanche had a brief two- man advantage midway through the period, but John-Michael Liles and Brett Clark each missed the net with shots from the point and Giguere didn't need to make a save during the ensuing five-on- four power play that lasted 1:23.

The Avalanche lost a valuable forward in Ben Guite with 2.2 seconds left in the period for fighting defenseman Kent Huskins after a fight already had broken out between Laperriere and Ryan Getzlaf. Guite and Huskins were assessed game misconducts.

That left the Avalanche with 10 forwards because Cody McCormick (chest contusion) and Scott Parker (ill) weren't available.

"It certainly didn't help things. That line was pretty effective with what they had to do," coach Joel Quenneville said, referring to the Brad Richardson-Guite-Laperriere unit. "We were basically down to 10 forwards, three lines, so you just had to go with it. Your options aren't great, but the guys were doing what we wanted them to do. "It was disappointing, but they left it out there."

Ducks 2, Avalanche 1

Anaheim0 1 1 - 2

Colorado1 0 0 - 1

First period - 1, Col, Svatos 25 (Wolski, Hannan), 1:37. Penalties - Liles, Col, (interference), 10:42; Huskins, Ana (holding), 16:32; Svatos, Col, (high-sticking), 19:52; Laperriere, Col, (broken stick), 20:00.

Second period - 2, Ana, Selanne 1 (Getzlaf, Pronger), 1:09 (pp). Penalties - Sutherby, Ana, major (fighting), 8:33; Parros, Ana (unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:33; McLeod, Col, major (fighting), 8:33; S. Niedermayer, Ana (tripping), 9:56; Huskins, Ana, major-game misconduct (fighting), 19:57; Getzlaf, Ana, major (fighting), 19:57; Laperriere, Col, major (fighting), 19:57; Guite, Col, major-game misconduct (fighting), 19:57.

Third period - 3, Ana, Pahlsson 4 (Moen, R. Niedermayer), 15:39. Penalties - Pronger, Ana (holding), 4:59.

Shots - Ana 11-10-8 - 29. Col 18-9-6 - 33. Power plays - Ana 1 of 3; Col 0 of 4. Goalies - Ana, Giguere 25-15-5 (33 shots-32 saves). Col, Theodore 15-13-2 (29-27). A - 16,257 (18,007). T - 2:29. Referees - Dean Warren, Ian Walsh. Linesmen - Andy McElman, Anthony Sericolo.

sadowskir@RockyMountainNews.com

ANOTHER INJURY

The Avalanche lost defenseman Brett Clark to a shoulder injury in the opening minute of the third period in a collision with Ducks forward Ryan Carter. He'll be re-evaluated today, but coach Joel Quenneville didn't sound like Clark would be back any time soon.

"Probably not good," he said.

The Avalanche had seven defensemen in uniform for the game - Karlis Skrastins was the extra - because forward Cody McCormick was scratched with a chest contusion and Scott Parker is ill.

Skrastins, a healthy scratch for the previous three games, took one shift as a right wing and was given spot duty on defense until the third period, when Clark left the game. He took six of his 16 shifts in the third period.

Center Paul Stastny also remained sidelined, this time with a groin injury. He has been out since Jan. 17, when he underwent an appendectomy.

PEE WEES

The 2008 Avalanche Pee Wee team will participate in the 49th annual Quebec International Hockey Tournament in Quebec City, playing its first game Saturday against the Connecticut Wolves. The field includes 110 teams from 14 countries.

The Littleton Hawks Pee Wee AA team, coached by Rick Boh, will represent the Avalanche, having won a qualifying tournament in November. The 18-player roster includes Domenic Turgeon, the son of former Avalanche forward Pierre Turgeon, who serves as an assistant coach for the team.

HE SAID IT

"We know we're playing for our lives right now."

Ian Laperriere, Avalanche forward, on the tight playoff race.

Rick Sadowski

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