Recap
Ducks 3, Avalanche 0
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) - Corey Perry scored three goals and Curtis McElhinney stopped 25 shots for his second NHL shutout, leading the Anaheim Ducks to a 3-0 win over the struggling Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.

Perry completed his second hat trick of the season by scoring an empty-net goal with 17.3 seconds remaining.

McElhinney bottled up the high-scoring Avalanche while filling in for All-Star Jonas Hiller, who was scratched due to fatigue. The Ducks have won eight of nine against Colorado.

Peter Budaj made 26 saves for the Avalanche, which has dropped three straight.

Perry made it 2-0 early in the third period when he faked out a Colorado player with a nifty move and lifted a backhand shot over Budaj. He sealed the win with a shot from near center ice into an empty net.

He has 28 goals and 28 assists in 54 games this season.

Adam Foote had Colorado's best scoring chance late while McElhinney was out of position. But the goalie managed to slide over and got a toe on the puck to deflect it and keep the Avalanche off the board.

McElhinney's only other shutout was Nov. 10 against the New York Islanders when he stopped 27 shots.

Colorado pulled Budaj for an extra skater with just over two minutes remaining, but still couldn't score.

In the second period, McElhinney stopped Brandon Yip's breakaway attempt with his left leg, and also turned aside Matt Duchene's wrist shot from in close with his 6-foot-2 frame.

Perry put the Ducks on the board when he swatted in a rebound on a power play 13:51 into the first period.

The Ducks had a chance at more when they went on a 5-on-3 power play for nearly 1:30 following a hooking call on Ryan Stoa and a high-sticking penalty on Foote, who jawed at the referee and drew an additional two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The two-man advantage started in the first period - the Avs killed off 55 seconds - and spilled over into the second. Colorado withstood the penalties after entering with the NHL's worst penalty-killing unit at home.

The Avalanche killed five of six Anaheim power plays.

Colorado forward David Jones returned to the lineup after missing a game with a shoulder injury, but Ryan O'Reilly missed his seventh straight since he hurt his shoulder sliding into the boards Jan. 14 at Minnesota.

The Ducks might soon have captain Ryan Getzlaf back in the lineup. He has missed 14 games with facial fractures, the result of being struck in the face with a puck on Dec. 28 at Phoenix. He is expected to return sometime during the Ducks' swing through Western Canada.

Speaking of comebacks, 2003 NHL MVP Peter Forsberg has been feeling better about his progress on the ice as he considers a return to the Avalanche. He skated Saturday before the game with some of the Avs and could soon make a decision on his future,

The Avalanche will practice Sunday before heading out on a four-game trip.

NOTES: Avs F Peter Mueller has resumed skating again. He has been sidelined by a concussion all season. ... Anaheim was the last Western Conference team to play Colorado this season.


Three star selections
1st:   COREY PERRY
2nd:   CURTIS MCELHINNEY
3rd:   RYAN O'BYRNE
Winning Goaltender
Curtis McElhinney

Losing Goaltender
Peter Budaj

SCHEDULE

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STANDINGS

WESTERN CONFERENCE
  TEAM GP W L OT GF GA PTS
1 p - CHI 48 36 7 5 155 102 77
2 y - ANA 48 30 12 6 140 118 66
3 y - VAN 48 26 15 7 127 121 59
4 x - STL 48 29 17 2 129 115 60
5 x - LAK 48 27 16 5 133 118 59
6 x - SJS 48 25 16 7 124 116 57
7 x - DET 48 24 16 8 124 115 56
8 x - MIN 48 26 19 3 122 127 55
9 CBJ 48 24 17 7 120 119 55
10 PHX 48 21 18 9 125 131 51
11 DAL 48 22 22 4 130 142 48
12 EDM 48 19 22 7 125 134 45
13 CGY 48 19 25 4 128 160 42
14 NSH 48 16 23 9 111 139 41
15 COL 48 16 25 7 116 152 39

STATS

2012-2013 REGULAR SEASON
SKATERS: GP G A +/- Pts
P. Parenteau 48 18 25 -11 43
M. Duchene 47 17 26 -12 43
P. Stastny 40 9 15 -7 24
J. McGinn 47 11 11 -13 22
J. Mitchell 47 10 10 5 20
R. O'Reilly 29 6 14 -3 20
G. Landeskog 36 9 8 -4 17
T. Barrie 32 2 11 -11 13
C. McLeod 48 8 4 4 12
M. Hejduk 29 4 7 -7 11
 
GOALIES: W L OT Sv% GAA
J. Giguere 5 4 4 .908 2.84
S. Varlamov 11 21 3 .903 3.02
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