Anaheim is one point behind the Los Angeles Kings with four games remaining. The Ducks hold the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, one point ahead of Colorado. The Avalanche are tied in points with the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card from the West, but St. Louis holds the tiebreaker because they have more points in head-to-head games with Colorado. A win would move the Avalanche within two points of the Minnesota Wild for third in the Central Division. Jonathan Bernier will start for the Avalanche with Semyon Varlamov out for the season because of a lower-body injury. Bernier has made 50 saves on 52 shots against the Ducks this season, winning each game 3-1 in Colorado.
Players to watch
Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday for his 21st multi-point game of the season. He two assists against Anaheim on Oct. 13. Ducks forward Rickard Rakell scored in overtime in a 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday, and has 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in his past 15 games.
They said it
"[Bernier] has stepped up and elevated his game and won us a bunch of hockey games when Varly has been out before, and now we need him to do it again."-- Colorado coach Jared Bednar "We're going to have to park these emotions and the satisfaction we got out of [defeating the Kings] and get ready for the next one, because the next one is the real big one." -- Ducks coach Randy Carlyle
Johnson was injured in a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday and was ruled out for at least six weeks. Warsofsky replaced him against the Blackhawks and finished plus-1 with two blocked shots in 15:47.
Stat pack
The Avalanche have scored at least four goals in four of their past five road games. ... Gibson is 14-4-2 since the All-Star break with an NHL-leading 1.93 goals-against average.
