Colorado Avalanche (40-10-9) @ Anaheim Ducks (33-23-3)
8 p.m. MT | Honda Center | Watch: Altitude, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM)
After a win in Los Angeles on Monday, the Avalanche continues its road trip against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. This is the third and final regular-season meeting between the teams this season, as the Avalanche won 4-1 in Denver on November 11th and the Ducks were victorious by a 2-1 score in a shootout in Colorado on January 21st.
Latest Result (COL): COL 4, LAK 2
Latest Result (ANA): CGY 2, ANA 3 (SO)
Two Points in the City of Angels
Devon Toews’ goal with 4:55 left in regulation held up as the game-winner as the Avalanche defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 at Crypto.com Arena on Monday. Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog each posted a goal and two assists while Nathan MacKinnon recorded a pair of points (1g/1a). In net for Colorado in the franchise’s 1,750th regular-season win, Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced. MacKinnon opened the scoring at 4:27 of the first period with his 41st goal of the season via a one-timer from the slot set up by Necas’ cross-ice saucer pass. At 10:13 of the opening frame, Landeskog doubled Colorado’s lead with his eighth goal of the season via a one-timer from the high slot assisted by Brent Burns’ feed. Brandt Clarke put Los Angeles on the board with a power-play goal at 17:20 of the first period via a shot from the point. At 8:32 of the second period, Angus Booth tied the game for the Kings via a redirection from the left doorstep. Toews gave the Avs a 3-2 lead at 15:05 of the third period with his second goal of the season via a shot from the slot assisted by MacKinnon’s cross-ice pass. The Avalanche took a 4-2 lead on the power play at 19:58 of the third period when Necas scored his 26th goal of the season via an empty-net tally.
Leading the Way
Nate the Great
MacKinnon leads the NHL in goals (41), ranks second in points (99) and third in assists (58).
All Hail Cale
Among NHL defensemen, Makar ranks third in points (61), tied for fourth in goals (17) and fifth in assists (44).
Marty Party
Necas ranks eighth in the NHL in points (71).
Series History
In 114 previous regular-season games against the Ducks, the Avalanche has a record of 58-35-7-14.
Shootout on Sunday
The Ducks defeated the Calgary Flames 3-2 in a shootout at Honda Center on Sunday. Calgary’s Joel Farabee opened the scoring with a goal at 9:41 of the first period. In the second period, Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier tied the game at 11:14 before Yegor Sharangovich gave the Flames a 2-1 lead on the power play at 16:10. Gauthier tied the game for Anaheim with a power-play goal at 10:41 of the third period. In the shootout, Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson and Calgary’s Nazem Kadri scored in the first and second rounds, respectively, before Mason McTavish scored the game-winning goal for the Ducks in the third stanza.
Doing Work Against the Ducks
MacKinnon has posted 47 points (17g/30a) in 36 games against the Ducks.
In 18 contests against Anaheim, Makar has recorded 18 points (2g/16a).
Landeskog has registered 32 points (13g/19a) in 38 games against the Ducks.
Scoring in SoCal
Gauthier leads the Ducks in goals (28) and points (52) while ranking fifth in assists (24).
Jackson LaCombe leads the Ducks in assists (34) and is fifth in points (40).
Carlsson is tied for second on the Ducks in points (49) and goals (20) while ranking fourth in assists (29).
A Numbers Game
9
Necas’ nine points (4g/5a) since February 25th are the most in the NHL.
52.8%
Colorado’s 52.8% face-off percentage since January 1st is tied for the fourth highest in the NHL.
2.55
The Avalanche’s 2.55 goals against per game on the road are the third fewest in the NHL.
Quotes That Left a Mark
"I thought the MacKinnon line with Necas and Landeskog [was] outstanding. [They were] dangerous the whole night, right from the get-go. [They] didn't really let up the entire night."
-- Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar on the Gabriel Landeskog-Nathan MacKinnon-Martin Necas line in Monday’s win against the Kings
“I thought we had good legs right from [the] get-go. And I thought we had a good start. Obviously, you get two quick ones (goals) pretty early in the first [period], and I thought we kept them to three-quarter ice for the most part for the first part of the game, really.”
-- Gabriel Landeskog on the team’s start in Monday’s win against the Kings
