Ducks comeback magic runs out to sturdy, league-leading Avalanche

ANAHEIM, Calif. – For the fourth straight game out of the Olympic break, the Anaheim Ducks allowed the opening goal, but this time, the magic elixir dried up.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche were opportunistic in their scoring and stout in their defense and goaltending to turn away the upstart Ducks, 5-1, on Tuesday at Honda Center.

Anaheim snapped a five-game winning streak and a run of eight consecutive home victories with just its third loss in the last 15 games (12-3-0).

“Playing from behind is not traditionally winning hockey,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “You can’t expect to keep chasing a game. Keep thinking that can happen like that, you’re gonna run out of luck.”

The Ducks mounted third period comebacks against Edmonton, Winnipeg and Calgary to open this homestand, but Anaheim could not add to their total of 17 comeback victories, tied for third-most in the league. The Ducks’ 36 games allowing the opening goal are the fourth-most in the NHL.

“We’ve been fortunate that we’ve come back, and we’ve shown a lot of resiliency with the group,” Alex Killorn said, “but you can’t do that in every game. It’s just not gonna work that way. So we’ve got to find a way to get some leads and have some better starts, so we don’t have to rely on doing that at the end of the game.”

Anaheim couldn’t capitalize on early offensive chances–a snakebit Mason McTavish sent a puck wide of an open net on a first period power play–and Colorado frustrated the Ducks in the neutral zone to negate a comeback from the 2-0 opening-period lead.

Cutter Gauthier scored his sixth goal in six games with a one-timer off an excellent Jackson LaCombe read in the second period to cut Colorado’s early lead, 2-1, but that was all Anaheim could manage.

Parker Kelly scored his first of two goals after Jack Drury dug out a puck from under Lukás Dostal’s glove later in the second period, which Quenneville marked as the early backbreaker.

“I thought we were fine until they scored the third one,” Quenneville said. “I thought our start was okay. We didn’t score on the power play, which would have been nice to score early, but I thought the game was even at that point, 2-1 down. That goal really seemed to take the edge off of us.”

Anaheim (33-24-3, 69 points) missed an opportunity to jump back into first place in the ever-tightening Pacific Division for the first time since Dec. 22. The Ducks remain one point back of division-leading Vegas (28-19-14, 70 points), which has lost three in a row. Anaheim has one game in hand on the Knights.

Edmonton (30-24-8, 68 points) pulled within one point of Anaheim and two points of Vegas. The Oilers. Anaheim has played two fewer games than Edmonton, and Vegas has one game in hand on the Oilers.

Seattle (29-22-9, 67 points) is now just two points behind Anaheim in the second wild card and even on games played.

The Ducks get right back at it on Wednesday, as the New York Islanders and rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer roll into town for the second half of this home back-to-back.

Trudging Through the Snow

Colorado is the league’s top team for a reason. The Avalanche lead the NHL in goals per game, goals allowed per game, shots per game and save percentage.

On Tuesday, the Avalanche were opportunistic with their scoring, stout with their goaltending and absolutely frustrating in the neutral zone.

Anaheim registered the first five shots on goal and earned two power plays in the first 10 minutes, but the Ducks couldn’t crack Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood early.

Wedgewood’s fortitude allowed Colorado time to let its skill shine, and that’s what Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar did 11 minutes in.

Makar entered the offensive zone with speed, sent the puck in front, wheeled around the net to pick up the same loose puck, stepped into space and fired the opening strike past Dostal.

Makar picked up an assist on a power play marker three minutes later, as Martin Necas blasted a puck around layers of traffic for the 2-0 lead.

“It’s not that we’re playing terrible to start the game,” Killorn said. “It’s just little mistakes that end up costing us, so we’re gonna have to tighten that up.”

Tighten up is what the Avalanche did in response to their early advantage, and that’s where Colorado’s true prowess of a true Stanley Cup contender comes through. For all their vaunted skill players–led by Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, who hit 100 points tonight–their defensive aptitude sets them apart.

“I thought they did a good job of keeping us and preventing us to get inside in their end,” Quenneville said. “That’s why they’re such a good team. All facets are buttoned down, and I think that their team speed was very evident tonight.”

The Avalanche set up their 1-2-2 neutral zone structure to keep the Ducks outside, and their defense maintained tight gaps. Combined, the Ducks simply couldn’t get any speed going through the middle ice–aside from a Leo Carlsson foray sparking Cutter Gauthier’s lone Ducks goal–or sustain much offensive zone time.

“They play really hard man-on-man, and their D are just big and strong,” Killorn said. “Even the ones that aren’t big are strong and they skate really well. They did a good job whether or not we got the zone. It was kind of one shot, then we were out.”

Missed Anaheim opportunities and successful Colorado responses made for a simple lockdown game plan for the Avalanche, even on the back end of a back-to-back.

Strome Scratched Again; Injured Terry, Granlund Show Progress

For the third straight game, Anaheim skated with an 11-forward, 7-defenseman line-up on Tuesday, as they continue to observe a healing forward group with Mikael Granlund, Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano.

However, after a bout with an illness the last two games, Ryan Strome returned to Tuesday’s morning skate and skated in warm-ups, but the veteran was a scratch for the sixth straight game.

“It’s not easy for him not playing,” Quenneville said at morning skate. “As much as he used to play too is part of that. That can be tricky… He’s been around. He’s been through it. He can talk about how it’s not easy being in the position he’s in, and I understand it. That’s the tough part of our business.”

Quenneville also said this morning that both Granlund and Terry progressed, despite not taking part in the early skate.

Granlund missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury. Granlund skated on his own before Tuesday’s morning skate, but the 34-year-old has yet to practice since taking a hit from behind late in Finland’s bronze medal win in Milan.

Terry missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury. It’s Terry’s second stint with an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old missed 11 games in January with the same upper-body injury.

Vatrano participated in the morning skate on Tuesday–his first since Dec. 27–but he hasn’t gotten full clearance to return from a fractured shoulder suffered. He remains on injured reserve.