Lukas Dostal stands tall vs. Avs as Ducks win in shootout

Lukas Dostal made 40 saves through regulation and overtime and two more in the shootout, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in Denver on Wednesday night.

Mikael Granlund and Cutter Gauthier had shootout goals and Jeffrey Viel scored in regulation for Anaheim in Alex Killorn's 1,000th career game.

The Ducks, who have won five in a row, played without top-line center Mason McTavish, who was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Jansen Harkins replaced him in the lineup.

Artturi Lehkonen scored and Scott Wedgewood turned away 16 shots for Colorado.

Valeri Nichushkin returned from a one-game absence for the Avalanche. He was a late scratch from Colorado's 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Monday after getting into a minor car accident on his way to the arena.

After a back-and-forth overtime, Granlund scored to open the shootout. Dostal stopped chances by Brock Nelson and Martin Necas before Gauthier won it on Anaheim's third attempt.

Viel played 10 games with the Boston Bruins before being dealt to the Ducks on Friday. He was in the lineup on Saturday night against Los Angeles and then scored his first goal of the season on Monday in Anaheim's win over the New York Rangers.

He got his second goal in three games with Anaheim early in the second period. Gauthier had the puck near the right boards and sent a pass to Viel as he skated down the left slot. Viel beat Wedgewood with a snap shot inside the left post at 1:27.

Dostal made the goal stand up for the rest of the period, stopping 11 shots and frustrating Colorado winger Ross Colton with a save on a redirect. Colton banged his stick on the glass after the missed opportunity.

The Avalanche outshot the Ducks 18-4 in the third and had two great chances in the first 20 seconds of the period, but Dostal made a save on Nelson and another on Sam Malinski. Lehkonen tied it at 16:21 when he buried a cross-ice pass from Nelson.

--Field Level Media