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Schneider nets overtime goal, lifts Ducks past Avalanche

Dec 20, 2007 - 8:24 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Mathieu Schneider scored the game-winning goal 3:31 into overtime as the Anaheim Ducks rallied to defeat the Colorado Avalanche, 2-1, on Wednesday.

The defenseman entered the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 break but elected to keep the puck and snapped a wrist shot over the glove of Colorado goaltender Peter Budaj for his fifth goal of the season.

Anaheim, which enjoyed a 38-12 advantage in shots, snapped a three-game home losing streak with the victory.

"Chris Kunitz and I skated up the ice," Schneider said of his game-winner. "We had a lot of time. I stayed in my lane. I knew the way the ice was that I was going to shoot it; I got it just under the bar near the post."

The Avs goalie thought he had a good angle on Schneider on the goal.

"Maybe, I was cheating a little bit to the right side," Budaj said. "Maybe I was open on my glove side. I totally thought I had a good angle, and that's why I didn't even go down. It went in, so it must have been a good shot."

Budaj was brilliant in net for the Avs, stopping 36 of the 38 shots he faced. Over his last four outings, during which he has posted a 3-0-1 mark, the Slovakian has turned aside 116-of-122 shots for a .951 save percentage and a 1.23 goals-against average.

"I thought he played terrific in that first period," Colorado said coach Joel Quenneville of Budaj. "Peter had that first period that gave us a chance and kept us in the game. We worked hard and the guys battled but Peter was outstanding tonight."

Cody McCormick opened the scoring 8:33 into the second period.

Ian Laperriere threaded a pass to McCormick cutting alone through the slot on the left side. McCormick deked Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller to the ice and lifted a wrist shot over Hiller's right shoulder for his first goal of the season.

Anaheim's Doug Weight, acquired last Friday in a trade for Andy McDonald, tried to get the Ducks on the board first, but was denied by a brilliant save by Budaj from five feet out in the opening period.

"Budaj played great; you've got to give him credit," Weight said.

Chris Pronger evened the contest at 1-1 just 3:45 into the third period.

The defenseman corralled the rebound of a shot by Ryan Carter and deposited it between Budaj's legs for his sixth goal of the season.

Carter, who was recalled from Portland of the American Hockey League on Monday, was credited with an assist for his first point of his NHL career.

"We've been talking about it for the last little while of getting into the play and trying to close the gap," Pronger said. "I saw a little opportunity to go through to the net. Carter made a great shot. The goalie kicked the rebound out and I was fortunate. I think it went through his legs."

"Those are big-league plays by (an) elite-level defenseman," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. "I think front and center for us was the work ethic that we were able to display off a back-to-back (pair of games)."

Rob Niedermayer nearly gave the Ducks the lead midway through the third period.

The center found himself on the doorstep, faked Budaj to the ice but lifted the puck over the net to keep the game deadlocked at 1-1.

Hiller stopped 11 of the 12 shots he faced for his second victory of the season.

"It's difficult to stay sharp when there aren't a lot of shots," Hiller said. "You've got to concentrate and try to stay focused."

With the return of Conn Smythe Trophy winning defenseman Scott Niedermayer and the acquisition of Weight, there seems to be a renewed air of confidence in the Ducks' locker room.

"The way we played tonight was a pretty outstanding effort, especially playing on back-to-back nights and three games in four nights," Schneider said. "That should have been a four- or five-goal game easily. We generated a lot of chances tonight. If we do that consistently, we're going to win a lot of games.

"We have to build off these last couple of efforts. You can feel the tide turning in the dressing room. When Weight and Scotty came in the room, I think there's just a different feeling. You can sense that some of the guys have their swagger back a little bit. That little cockiness is important to have on a winning club."

Colorado captain Joe Sakic missed his 10th consecutive game with a groin injury. Ryan Smyth joined Sakic on the sidelines with a neck injury he suffered Monday in Los Angeles.

"We were fortunate not to have to face them," Carlyle said.