For both teams this game will be part of a back-to-back. However, the Anaheim Ducks are only just starting their intense 24 hours, whereas the Colorado Avalanche are coming to the end of theirs.
Anaheim Ducks
Another advantage for the hosts is that they are on home ice and will not have to fly anywhere tomorrow. They approach this game in good spirits. Throughout February the hosts did not drop a single point (four wins), and on the first day of spring they edged the Calgary Flames 3:2 in a shootout. Lukas Dostal saved 94.1% of shots over 65 minutes plus the shootout. This run has lifted the hosts from fifth to second place in the Pacific Division.
Colorado Avalanche
By contrast, the visitors have not needed to climb anywhere since the start of the season; their main task is simply not to drop from the top of the division, conference and league. From 21 January to 26 February Jared Bednar’s team won only four of 10 games, their poorest stretch for a leader since the beginning of the campaign. However, this looks like a deliberate easing of intensity; it is risky to maintain maximum pace all the time. They are capable of outplaying any opponent, but also need to protect their key players. This will be their second game in two days after a 4:2 win in Los Angeles against the Los Angeles Kings. Once again the first line drove them forward, and the defence confirmed its status as the best in the NHL, conceding an average of 2.42 goals per game.
Anaheim Ducks vs Colorado Avalanche Prediction
This season the hosts have already stopped the visitors once, winning 2:1 in Denver on 21 January. On that occasion the goaltender saved 97.6% of the shots he faced. The other meeting between the teams also saw the total stay under, when the Colorado Avalanche won 4:1. We are more confident in a modest scoreline than in picking a winner.
