The Colorado Avalanche visit the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, with both teams riding the momentum of third-period comebacks.
The Avalanche, trailing 2-1 through 48 minutes against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, broke out with three unanswered goals to secure a 4-2 win.
Mikko Rantanen scored on the power play for the equalizer 8:26 into the third period, and Joel Kiviranta added goals at the 13:06 and 15:58 marks to put Colorado ahead.
It was just the Avalanche’s third win in 18 games when trailing after two periods this season, yet goalie Mackenzie Blackwood said his teammates felt “no panic” during the second intermission.
“Just (a) calm, composed, solid third period,” said Blackwood, who made 32 saves. “They knew what they had to do. It’s nice to watch. … You can see that character coming here.”
Late-game heroics have powered Anaheim’s two-game winning streak, as the Ducks trailed both contests entering the final five minutes of the third period.
On Saturday, Jackson LaCombe’s goal at 17:14 of the third frame paved the way for Alex Killorn’s overtime winner in a 4-3 road victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Back home against the league-leading Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, the Ducks turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory on Frank Vatrano’s equalizer 15:14 into the third period and then Troy Terry’s game-winning tally with 26 seconds left.
Since the Jets were playing their second game in as many nights, Terry felt the Ducks “did a really good job of … capitalizing on” Winnipeg’s fatigue.
“We were able to have a few days just to (get) everyone get healthy and get rested,” Terry said. “We’ve been on the other side of that when it’s a back-to-back. … It gets tiring come the second and third period.”
Colorado is 1-2-0 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.
Terry leads Anaheim in assists (16) and points (25) and is tied with Vatrano for the team’s goal lead with nine. Over the Ducks’ past eight games, linemates Terry (three goals, six assists) and Vatrano (five goals, three assists) have combined for 17 points.
Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL in both points (52) and assists (39) after setting up a pair of goals against San Jose.
Rantanen leads the Avalanche with 19 goals after scoring once at San Jose. The star forward has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) over a seven-game points streak.
Scott Wedgewood is expected to start in net for the Avalanche on Friday. Wedgewood has a 3-2-0 record, a .931 save percentage and 1.92 goals-against average in five games with Colorado since being acquired in a Nov. 30 trade with the Nashville Predators.
Since Lukas Dostal faced Winnipeg, John Gibson should play Friday if the Ducks continue their recent trend of rotating goaltender starts. Gibson owns a .925 save percentage and 2.47 GAA in his career against the Avalanche despite a 10-10-2 record.
Both the Ducks and Avalanche have struggled at killing penalties this season, but Colorado’s penalty-kill unit has started to round into form. Opponents are only 1-for-17 on the power play in Colorado’s past seven games.
The Avalanche are 13-1-2 in their past 16 games against Anaheim. The dominant stretch includes a 4-3 Colorado win in overtime on Oct. 18 in Denver.
–Field Level Media