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Anaheim again handles Colorado

Avalanche still can't solve Ducks in shootout loss

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 21, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

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One-goal games have been the norm when the Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks face off this season.

But the slumping Avalanche has been on the losing end in all three meetings, and on Wednesday night, it was shot down again, this time in a shootout.

Corey Perry scored the only goal in the breakaway competition to give the defending Stanley Cup champions a 3-2 come- from-behind win before a sellout crowd of 17,174 at the Honda Center.

The Avalanche, which lost its four previous games in regulation, did pick up a point to move two behind eighth-place Vancouver, which holds the final playoff position in the Western Conference.

"It stopped the bleeding," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We worked like dogs out there."

The Avalanche didn't give itself much chance to score against goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere in the shootout.

"I didn't like the shots in the shootout, but we battled a lot better than we showed in the last couple of games, for sure," Quenneville said.

Wojtek Wolski lost the puck before taking a weak shot, Marek Svatos shot wide and Milan Hejduk tried to go up top and watched Giguere make a waist- high glove save.

"I tried to shoot it higher than I actually did," said Hejduk, whose only points in the past 10 games came Feb. 9 against the Canucks when he scored two goals. "I don't know if I was too close and then I couldn't lift it. My original plan was to shoot a little higher than that.

"These have all been tight games (against the Ducks). I don't think we played a bad game. We hung there all game and had a one-goal lead and we couldn't hold it. Overall, it was a pretty good effort. This is a tough building. It's hard to come out with some points."

Andrew Brunette had gone nine games without a goal when he put in the rebound of defenseman John-Michael Liles' shot at 17:30 of the second period to give the Avalanche a 2-1 lead.

The Ducks countered at 9:23 of the third period when defenseman Chris Pronger used his 6-foot-6 frame to knock down an Avalanche clearing attempt and fire a slap shot from the right point that Rob Niedermayer tipped behind goalie Peter Budaj for the tying goal.

"That goes over any player in the league except for 'Prongs,' " Quenneville said. "It was the right play. I don't think you can go any higher than that."

Budaj had no chance to prevent Niedermayer's goal.

"(Pronger) did a great play," said Budaj, who, in his first start since Feb. 4, made 20 saves through overtime and stopped two of three in the shootout. "He jumped high and he got the puck down and shot it. Niedermayer did a good job driving to the net.

"We worked hard and we deserved at least a point, even though we wanted two."

A goal by defenseman Jeff Finger at 8:12 of the second period tied the score 1-1 and ended the Avalanche's scoreless drought at 90:37 covering parts of three games.

Quenneville changed all four lines in an attempt to energize what has been an anemic offense, even moving Wolski into the middle on a unit with David Jones and enforcer Scott Parker, who was scratched the 10 previous games.

Ryan Smyth skated with Ben Guite and Ian Laperriere; Cody McLeod with T.J. Hensick and Hejduk; and Brunette with Tyler Arnason and Svatos.

CUMISKEY ACTIVATED: The Avalanche activated rookie defenseman Kyle Cumiskey, who missed 17 games with a groin injury, and he received ample ice time on an ailing power play that went 0-for-4 and is in a 0-for-22 skid.

Cumiskey was paired at times with Liles, who has gone 44 games without a goal and has just two goals this season.

"His production needs to get better and I think he can really help the power play," Quenne- ville said of Liles. "Your power play usually has some success when the point guy is in charge. That's the position he's been in and we're looking for more."

Liles has been the subject of numerous trade rumors, in part because he's eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1. Liles repeated his desire to remain with the Avalanche.

Ducks 3, Avalanche 2, SO

Colorado0 2 0 0 - 2

Anaheim1 0 1 0 - 3

Anaheim won shootout 1-0

First period - 1, Ana, Selanne 2 (Kunitz, Getzlaf), 13:31 (pp). Penalties - Pronger, Ana (roughing), 5:19; Leopold, Col, (holding), 10:03; Hannan, Col, (hooking), 11:50; Hannan, Col, (tripping), 15:52; Pronger, Ana (holding), 19:45.

Second period - 2, Col, Finger 6 (Hensick, McLeod), 8:12. 3, Col, Brunette 12 (Svatos, Liles), 17:30. Penalty - Pronger, Ana (slashing), 9:59.

Third period - 4, Ana, R. Niedermayer 5 (Pronger), 9:23. Penalties - Hannan, Col, (tripping), 3:04; Sauer, Col, (roughing), 5:17; O'Donnell, Ana (hooking), 14:06; Cumiskey, Col, (hooking), 15:37.

Overtime - None. Penalties - None.

Shootout - Col 0 (Wolski NG, Svatos NG, Hejduk NG), Ana 1 (Perry G, Selanne NG, Getzlaf NG).

Shots - Col 12-9-5-2 - 28. Ana 5-5-10-2 - 22. Power plays - Col 0 of 4; Ana 1 of 6. Goalies - Col, Budaj 15-9-4 (22 shots-20 saves). Ana, Giguere 27-16-5 (28-26). A - 17,174 (17,174). T - 2:38. Referees - Tom Kowal, Chris Lee. Linesmen - Jean Morin, Vaughan Rody.

sadowskir@RockyMountainNews.com

NUMBERS GAME

13 teams had scouts at Wednesday's game. The NHL trading deadline is Tuesday.

SAKIC, STASTNY NEAR

Centers Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny took part in the morning skate, after which coach Joel Quenneville said "they're a step closer" to returning to the lineup. He wouldn't speculate on the possibility of either playing Friday against Phoenix.

Sakic is recovering from hernia surgery and has missed 37 games. Stastny is getting over a groin injury that followed his appendectomy and has missed 15 games.

The presence of either would give the Avalanche a big boost, but Quenneville said the team's 10th-place standing should be enough "to get our attention."

"We're all aware of the urgency that's needed right now when you look at where we're at," he said. "A couple days ago, you're sitting in fifth, sixth; now you're outside of it by a couple of spots. They know we can't wait. We have to concentrate on today."

FORSBERG UNSURE

Just one day after agent Don Baizley called teams - including the Avalanche - to advise them that Peter Forsberg probably wouldn't return to the NHL this season, the 34-year-old center on Tuesday told a Swedish television station he hasn't given up on playing this season.

"The foot doesn't feel 100 percent, but there is still a week left until the deadline," Forsberg said.

The former Avalanche player, an unrestricted free agent, has been battling foot and ankle problems. He would need to sign by Tuesday's trading deadline to be eligible for the playoffs.

Rick Sadowski

Comments

  • February 20, 2008

    3 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Tom Auclair writes:

    Anybody else sick of Forsberg's inability to be out of the spotlight? His agent says he most likely won't return this season, and no sooner than the words are out of his mouth than Forsberg has to contradict him. Pathetic.

  • February 21, 2008

    9:38 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Patriot writes:

    Way to go Coach Q, doing the same for us as you did for St. Louis, taking us out of the playoffs on a regular basis, turning a storied franchise into sh*t, thanks for your help, hope your gone at the end of the season and we get real NHL coach to bring us back to the level we were at before him.

  • February 21, 2008

    10:42 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    AlexfromMoscow writes:

    please fired Quenneville!!! five loss straight loss it's a good reason!!!

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