Giguere Unmasked but Not Exposed by the Avalanche

DENVER — Things did not start well for Mighty Duck goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere against Colorado on Thursday.

In his first start of the new year, Giguere -- who’d missed three games because of a stiff neck -- gave up two first-period goals to the Avalanche. In the second period, his mask was knocked off by a long-distance shot by Colorado defenseman Dean McAmmond.

“Actually, it looked much worse than it was,” Giguere said. “It was not that hard of a shot. It didn’t hurt or anything and usually a shot like that would hurt. It kind of stunned me because [the puck] kept rising and rising. I thought I would have been able to [stop] it with my shoulder.”

The Ducks ended their seven-game winless streak with a 5-3 victory because Giguere was able to outplay Colorado goalie Patrick Roy over the final two periods. Although he allowed two power-play goals, Giguere was at his best when the Avalanche played with a man-advantage.

“They have a good power play with a lot of skill,” Giguere said of Colorado, which had six power-play opportunities. “You have to be aware of everything when you play them.

“The first period I was a little shaky ... but after that, I felt pretty good. I was seeing the puck much better and felt that it was a pretty good game.”

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Forward Andy McDonald suffered a concussion in the second period when he was hit by Colorado defenseman Adam Foote in the neutral zone. McDonald did not play in the third period.