The Hockey News' Derek Lee previews the Ducks' matchup against the Colorado Avalanche.
After finishing their homestand with a fourth consecutive victory, the Ducks are hitting the road for a five-game trip. Their first stop is in Denver, where they'll take on the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche have a 34-5-8 record and have lost just once at home in regulation in the entire season. The Ducks are coming off a 5-3 win against the New York Rangers on Monday, while the Avalanche are coming off a 5-2 win against the Washington Capitals on Monday.
“We really liked our three performances on our home ice.” Ducks captain Radko Gudas said. “We played a very tight, checking game and we put the pucks in areas where we can get them, and we didn't give up much defensively either that last game (against the Rangers). Maybe in the third, we kind of got away from it a little bit, but our goalie was there for us, our PK came up huge at the end and the guys stepped up and played really well at the end of the game, so we got two points out of that. But, we have to learn from it, also. We can’t take as many penalties like we did the last two games, so those are some key things that we have to have to take care of.
“We have some best players in the world on the other side right now that are having a great season, so we’ve got to try to limit their time, make sure we have good gaps on them and don’t give them space to do their thing.”
Dec 20, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (49) skates with the puck against Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) and defenseman Jackson LaCombe (2) in the third period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images“I think our team's done a great job of playing the right way,” Jackson LaCombe said. “They have a great group over there and they’re really skilled and they're really fast. For us, we’ve just got to keep playing disciplined and keep playing smart.”
LaCombe was named to the U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey roster on Wednesday morning, replacing the injured Seth Jones.
“Anytime you get to represent USA, it's a dream going true and special,” LaCombe said. “I'm just really excited.”
Alex Killorn will play in his 1000th NHL game against the Avalanche, a tremendous milestone for any player to reach.
“It’s pretty special,” Killorn said. “You really don't plan for playing a thousand games. You kind of just try to make the NHL and (that’s) just the way things have gone. (I) really fortunate, honestly, to be in this situation. It's pretty special. Fortunate, for sure.”
Nov 11, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Alex Killorn (17) and Colorado Avalanche left wing Victor Olofsson (95) battle for the puck in the second period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images“It feels like we're doing some steps together, so that's pretty cool,” Gudas said. “I was there when he made his first professional debut, he was there when I made my NHL debut. So it's pretty cool to share these moments, share these personal milestones. I'm really happy that he got to this point when he plays his 1000th game. I think he deserved every bit of it. He's a true pro. He's helping all the young guys here understand what it all takes. He won Cups for a reason. He's a big part of why we're having success this year as well, so couldn't be more thrilled for him.”
“I think Killer gives us a real presence as far as playing the right way, and doing the right things,” head coach Joel Quenneville said. “Being a good pro, an old pro. Knows how to prepare himself, knows what needs to be attended to. Knows how it can be and should be addressed. So that experience has played itself out here, particularly in that last little stretch we were going through.”
Ducks Projected Lines
Chris Kreider - Mason McTavish - Ryan Strome
Alex Killorn - Mikael Granlund - Beckett Sennecke
Jeffrey Viel - Ryan Poehling - Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston - Tim Washe - Ian Moore
Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov - Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger - Radko Gudas
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Avalanche Projected Lines
Victor Olofsson - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Nečas
Artturi Lehkonen - Brock Nelson - Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton - Jack Drury - Gavin Brindley
Zakhar Bardakhov - Parker Kelly - Taylor Makar
Sam Malinski - Cale Makar
Josh Manson - Brent Burns
Sam Girard - Jack Ahcan
Scott Wedgewood (confirmed)