NHL Update: Anaheim Ducks handled Colorado Avalanche, 3-0
Corey Perry recorded his career’s second hat trick, lifting Anaheim Ducks to a 3-0 victory over Colorado Avalanche, at Pepsi Center on Saturday night.
“Unselfish,” Perry said. “That’s how we’re continuing our success, unselfish play. We keep pushing, and guys are all getting together,”
Perry provided all the offense for Anaheim, which has won five of its previous seven contests. Curtis McElhinney was strong between the pipes, making 25 saves in the winning effort.
Peter Budaj turned aside 26 shots for Colorado, which has lost three consecutive play-offs and five of six overall.
Perry staked Ducks on the scoreboard for 1-0 lead with six minutes left in the opening period, as he chipped home his own rebound at the side of the net on a power play.
“I think he looks better and better each time he steps on the ice,” Colorado coach Joe Sacco said. “I think his conditioning is getting better. Now it’s up to Peter. It depends how his foot
feels and where he’s at.”
McElhinney turned in his best work in the middle stanza, as he blocked Brandon Yip’s shot with his left pad, and stopped Matt Duchene’s slap shot from close range to preserve the shutout.
“I feel good right now. I feel comfortable,” said McElhinney
Perry doubled Ducks’ lead 2-0 just two minutes into the final frame, as he grabbed the puck along the right-wing boards, faked around Avalanche forward T.J. Galiardi and hammered a backhander
from the slot into the top left corner of the net.
"I hold myself responsible for that [goal]," Galiardi said. "I went for the stick check on one of the best stickhandlers in the league. You can't do that. He'll beat you every time."
Adam Foote got a best chance to put Avalanche on the board late in the third period when McElhinney was out of position. But Colorado remained off the boards, as net-minder managed to slide
over and got a toe on the puck to deflect it.
“We need production, there’s no question,” said Sacco. “We need production from our best players. The guys that eat up the minutes, they need to produce. You get zero goals, it’s going to
be difficult to win.”
Finally, the former first-round pick struck again to complete the hat trick with an empty-netter in the last minute and wrapped up the win at 3-0.
"Todd Marchant could have taken a shot at the open net," said Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle. "Instead, he tossed the puck to Perry knowing that it was for a hat trick."
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