ANAHEIM >> Three games away and a weekend to get well and back to normal had Jakob Silfverberg ready to charge out of the blocks after the All-Star break.
As has been the case all season, the Ducks were the beneficiary of a winger taking his game to greater heights. Silfverberg scored twice and assisted on another goal in his first game back from injury in a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, 5-1, on Tuesday night.
Silfverberg suffered a concussion in Colorado’s last visit to Honda Center on Jan. 19 as he landed head first onto the ice after a hard hit by Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov. The winger showed no ill effects in his first game back, getting his third two-goal game this season.
“Along with being a responsible defensive player, he finds a way to make a contribution on the offensive side of it,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “It was a welcome addition to our hockey club tonight because we haven’t really scored a lot of five-on-five goals, or haven’t had enough five-on-five to satisfy the coaching staff.”
As a power play was nearing its end in the first period, Silfverberg charged to the net and got a stick on Nick Ritchie’s shot to deflect it past Colorado goalie Calvin Pickard. Silfverberg would answer Mikko Rantanen’s second-period score with a pretty backhand move for a 3-1 lead in the third.
After scoring a career-high 20 goals last season, Silfverberg has 15 in just 48 games and appears set to top 40 points for the first time.
“I think a lot of it has to come from confidence,” Silfverberg said. “You know when the coach believes in you and he puts you out there in positions where you can go out and score. It helps too playing with a guy like [Ryan] Kesler and [Andrew] Cogliano.
“We’ve been playing together for a while now and we’re all on the same page. It’s getting pucks towards the net and having someone driving there. Both my goals tonight are just driving hard in the middle lane and getting the puck.”
Rickard Rakell, Korbinian Holzer and Cam Fowler Vdcasino also had goals to back a 28-save effort from goalie John Gibson as the Ducks (28-15-9) took care of the NHL’s worst team in getting set for a six-game, 14-day road trip. The Avalanche (13-32-2) have lost 18 of their last 20 games.
The Ducks shook off a start in which they took three penalties in the first period but killed them all off and then started to apply pressure and possess the puck as they stayed out of the box.
“A win’s a win, no matter how you get it,” Fowler said. “I thought the first period was a little bit sloppy. We gave them some momentum in the game, especially taking three penalties. I liked our game in the second and third periods. Got the win and that’s all that matters heading into a big road trip.”
Rakell gave the Ducks their first two-goal edge in the second when he was left wide open outside the Colorado goal crease and tapped in Corey Perry’s pass for his 21st goal. The assist gave Perry his 700th career point, all of which coming with the only team he’s played for.
Perry joined Ryan Getzlaf (779) and Teemu Selanne (988) as the third player in Ducks history to get 700 points. The 31-year-old winger also became the third player out of the celebrated 2003 NHL draft class to score that many points, with Getzlaf and Eric Staal as the only others to do so.
Holzer added a finishing touch when he put a long-distance shot off the post and in for his first goal since Feb. 9, 2013 when he played for Toronto. It snapped a 100-game drought for the low-scoring defenseman.
Fowler would chime in with his 11th to set a new career high, topping the 10 he scored as a rookie. Nick Ritchie added two assists for the Ducks.
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