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Perry, Giguere help Ducks hold off struggling Avalanche

Feb 21, 2008 - 8:00 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Corey Perry scored the decisive goal in the shootout and Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 26 shots as the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks posted a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

Teemu Selanne and Rob Niedermayer tallied in regulation for the Ducks, who have won seven of eight and extended the Avalanche's season-high losing streak to five games.

Perry scored the lone goal of the bonus format in the first round, when he beat goaltender Peter Budaj between the pads.

Giguere denied Wojtek Wolski and Marek Svatos lost control of the puck on his attempt, leaving Milan Hejduk as Colorado's last hope. But Giguere stopped Hejduk's wrist shot with his glove, sealing the win.

"The shootout is a difficult situation," said Giguere, who is 5-4 this season in the bonus format. "I feel that if I can stop two out of three, it gives my team a good chance to win."

"Jiggy used to struggle in shootouts," Ducks All-Star center Ryan Getzlaf said. "He's worked hard in the last little while to be able to steal one for us tonight."

Colorado, which has been outscored, 15-5, during its skid, is expecting the return of leading score Paul Stastny (groin) and captain Joe Sakic (hernia). Both practiced on Tuesday and could return during the team's current five-game road trip, which continues Friday in Phoenix.

The Avalanche certainly could have used the boost as they managed just five shots in the third period. But coach Joel Quenneville was pleased with his team's effort during regulation.

"We worked like dogs out there and we battled," Quenneville said. "We didn't make it happen there in the overtime and the shootout. I didn't like our shots in the shootout. I think we battled a lot better than we showed in the last couple of games."

Colorado put up a good fight against Anaheim and grabbed a 2-1 lead with 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the second period on Andrew Brunette's 12th goal of the season.

Defenseman John-Michael Liles rifled a slap shot from the point that was stopped by Giguere. The puck came loose in front of the crease and was first poked at by Svatos before Brunette recovered it and flipped it over Giguere.

"It was a deflection, and then it bounced back to me," Brunette said. "I had an open net."

But Niedermayer tied the game at 9:23 of the third, when he deflected a slap shot by captain Chris Pronger past Budaj.

Pronger used all of his 6-6 frame - and then some - as he went airborne to keep a loose puck in the offensive zone. The defenseman unleashed a slap shot ricocheted off the shaft of Niedermayer's stick and bounced off Budaj's arm before rolling over the goal line.

"I think no other defensemen in the history of the league would have stopped that except (Boston's Zdeno) Chara and Pronger," Budaj said. "That was a really tall clear, and (Pronger made) a great play. He jumped high - he got the puck down - he shot it afterwards, and Niedermayer did a good job driving the net."

"The biggest thing is to get in front of the net," Niedermayer said. "If you can get a stick on it, that's even better."

Anaheim opened the scoring on a highlight-reel play as Chris Kunitz sent a pass between his legs to Selanne on the right side. Selanne, who played for Colorado in 2003-04, tapped in the puck for an easy power-play goal with 6:29 left in the first.

It was the second tally of the season for Selanne, who has played in eight games since putting off retirement and signing a one-year deal with the Ducks on January 28.

"We have to keep on pushing hard every game," said Selanne, who has provided a spark for Anaheim as the club has gone 7-1-0 since his return.

Colorado knotted the contest at 1-1 when defenseman Jeff Finger scored from the slot while on one knee at 8:12 of the second.

Budaj stopped 20 shots for Colorado, which was 0-for-4 on the power play.

"Every time we play him, he seems to play huge against us," Niedermayer said. "He's an extremely good goalie."