The Avalanche have 17 games remaining in the regular season, 10 at home and seven on the road, in their push to make the playoffs.
They will conclude a two-game road trip Sunday afternoon in Anaheim following their 4-3 loss Friday in San Jose.
The GAME NOTES
Philipp Grubauer is expected to start in goal, according to BSNDenver.com, his first since Feb. 23 when he made 38 saves in a 5-0 win at Nashville.
The Avalanche are 5-1-1 in the past seven games, 6-2-1 in nine and have at least one point in 10 of the past 13 games (6-3-4).
Anything less than a regulation or overtime win against the Ducks would be a major setback.
The Avalanche are 10th in the fast-changing playoff race in the Western Conference with 68 points and 27 regulation/OT wins, two points behind second wild card Minnesota (31 ROWs) and three points behind first wild card Dallas (33 ROWs).
The Ducks, meanwhile, have combined for five goals in a five-game losing streak, are 3-13-0 in their past 16 games and sit 14th in the West with 57 points
Anaheim has scored a league-low 142 goals, 73 fewer than Colorado.
The Avalanche defeated the Ducks 4-3 in overtime on Nov. 18 at the Pepsi Center, their only win in a dozen 3-on-3 games this season. Mikko Rantanen scored the winning goal with two seconds to play.
They return home Tuesday to face one-time rival Detroit.