Ducks 3, Avalanche 0
DENVER -- Viktor Fasth stopped 31 shots for his first shutout in just his fourth NHL start, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-0 Wednesday night.
Sheldon Souray and Saku Koivu had a goal and an assist each and Francois Beauchemin also had a goal for the Ducks, who have won four straight.
Semyon Varlamov made 17 saves for Colorado, which has lost two straight.
Souray opened the scoring when he beat Varlamov with a slap shot from the point at the 6:20 mark of the first period. Koivu made it 2-0 when he scored on a 5-on-3 power play with 4:21 left in the frame.
The Avalanche (4-6-0) pressed to get one back and nearly did when defenseman Matt Hunwick pinched in and had a shot at an open net late in the first. Anaheim defense Bryan Allen got his stick in the way to block the shot.
Fasth was able to do the rest for the Ducks (7-1-1). He made a strong save on David Jones in the second to keep it a two-goal game before his team gave him a cushion on Beauchemin's goal halfway through the game.
Colorado had its chances in the third, but Fasth came up big several times. He stopped Chuck Kobasew and Mark Olver on a breakaway, stoned Paul Stastny on a 3-on-1 and made a save on Matt Duchene on another odd-man rush.
Colorado had 11 shots in the third but never solved the former Swedish Elite star.
The Ducks finished 1-for-4 on the power play, and they killed off the Avalanche's lone man-advantage, which came in the first period.
NOTES: Anaheim recalled defenseman Jordan Hendry from Norfolk of the AHL to take the roster spot of defenseman Toni Lydman, who is out with the flu. Hendry was in the lineup Wednesday night. ... Jones returned to the lineup after missing two games with a knee injury. ... Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler was scratched for the second straight game with an upper-body injury. ... Anaheim's first-period power-play goal was the first the Avalanche have allowed at home this season. They had killed off 20 straight before Souray scored. ... The Ducks are off to their best start since 2006-07, the year they won their only Stanley Cup. ... Colorado forward Aaron Palushaj, claimed off waivers Tuesday, was a healthy scratch.
