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Avalanche-Ducks Preview

Mar 20, 2010 - 6:23 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Colorado (40-24-6) at Anaheim (33-29-8), 8:00 p.m. EDT

While Saku Koivu and Lubomir Visnovsky have the Anaheim Ducks surging, there's another player the team would really like to see score before leaving home.

Teemu Selanne again goes for goal No. 600 when the Ducks attempt to cap a seven-game homestand with a fourth consecutive win Sunday night as they face the Colorado Avalanche.

Anaheim (33-29-8) has won three in a row following a season high-tying five-game losing streak. That skid started with a 4-3 home defeat to Colorado (40-24-6) on March 3, ending the Ducks' five-game winning streak in the series.

Selanne scored in that matchup and his next goal came against San Jose last Sunday for the 599th of his career, but he's come up empty on 11 shots over the last two games. He's looking to become the 18th player in league history - and third from Europe - to score 600.

Coach Randy Carlyle thought his players were trying too hard to set up Selanne for the milestone Friday in a 5-4 overtime win over the New York Islanders.

"He had lots of chances," Carlyle said. "We had a little discussion on the bench that there's so many games left, it's not an issue. He's going to get it."

However, he'd probably like to get it in front of the home fans in Anaheim, where he's spent nearly 10 full seasons of his 17-year career. The team begins a three-game road trip Tuesday in Calgary.

Selanne, two goals behind Jari Kurri for 17th all-time, has eight goals in his last nine games against the Avalanche. His 20 goals - third on the team despite missing 26 games with a broken jaw and hand - have helped Anaheim stay in the hunt for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The right wing further helped that cause with two assists Friday, one coming on Visnovsky's tying goal with 32 seconds to play.

Visnovsky scored twice Friday, giving him five goals in seven games since being acquired in a trade with Edmonton on March 3. The defenseman had 10 goals in 57 games with the Oilers.

Koivu has two goals and four assists during the three-game win streak, and he scored 14 seconds into overtime Friday.

"The last three games we've won have been great for the team. We have confidence," Visnovsky told the team's official Web site. "It's not easy because every point right now is important to us."

The same could be said for Colorado, chasing Vancouver for the Northwest Division lead but also just five points ahead of ninth place in the West.

Colorado failed to create more breathing room Wednesday, falling behind by three goals early in the second period and having a three-game win streak snapped in a 3-2 loss to Calgary.

Milan Hejduk scored for a third consecutive game and is third on the Avalanche with 20 goals, but he's been held off the scoresheet in his last four visits to Anaheim.

Peter Mueller had a seven-game point streak halted Wednesday, a run which began with a goal at Anaheim on March 3 in his first game after being acquired from Phoenix. The center totaled four goals and seven assists during the streak.