Sam Carrick and Max Jones scored but the Colorado Avalanche ran away with it in the third period tonight, defeating the Ducks 8-2 at Ball Arena.
With the loss, just Anaheim's third in its last 11 games, the Ducks fell to 9-7-0 on the season and 5-3-0 away from home ice. The setback also snapped the club's five-game road winning streak.
Carrick and Jones scored for the Ducks, as Anaheim was held to less than three goals for just the second time in those 11 contests. Radko Gudas, Brock McGinn, Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg tallied assists. Lukas Dostal made 29 saves.
Valeri Nichushkin scored twice for Colorado, each a deflected point shot from right in front of the Anaheim net. Samuel Girard, Valeri Nichushkin, Frederik Olofsson, Ross Colto, Joel Kiviranta, Andrew Cogliano and Devon Toews also scored. Alexander Georgiev earned the win in net for Colorado with 15 stops.
The win pushed Colorado to 10-5-0 on the season, second in the Central Division.
The Avalanche struck first early in the opening period when Girard crashed the net and had his rebound opportunity bounce off Dostal and then over the line.
The goal was Colorado's tenth by a defenseman this season, third-most in the NHL.
Carlsson came inches from tying right back up on the next shift, ringing the post behind Georgiev, but the shot bounced innocently into the corner.
The first period was almost all Colorado as the Avs outshot the Ducks 17-3 and doubled the lead eight minutes before intermission as Nichushkin tipped home Devon Toews' point shot.
Nichushkin has goals in three of his last four games and with two on the night is now within seven of the century mark (93) for his NHL career.
But just as it seemed the Avs would parlay that strong 20 minutes into a two-goal lead at intermission, Carrick got to the front of the net and tipped home Gudas' one-timer to bring the Ducks back within one on their third shot of the night.