Dostal Dominates As Ducks Edge Avalanche In Shootout Thriller

On a chilly January night at Ball Arena, the Colorado Avalanche found themselves stymied by a single, unyielding force: Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukáš Dostál. Despite firing a barrage of 41 shots and dominating possession for long stretches, the Avalanche couldn’t solve Dostál when it mattered most, ultimately falling 2-1 in a shootout to the surging Ducks on January 21, 2026. The loss snapped a run of home success for Colorado and extended Anaheim’s winning streak to five games, signaling a remarkable turn for the visiting squad.

From the opening puck drop, the Avalanche pressed the attack, outshooting Anaheim 9-4 in the first period and ramping up the pressure as the game wore on. Yet, as head coach Jared Bednar noted, something was missing from the offensive execution. “I didn’t love the way our back end moved the puck in the first period,” Bednar said postgame. “Our offense wasn’t doing a whole bunch.” The Avs’ passing often lacked crispness, with fumbled pucks and overpassing leading to a surprising scarcity of high-danger chances, despite the lopsided shot count.

Anaheim, for its part, spent much of the contest on its heels, content to dump the puck and weather the Avalanche storm. But when the Ducks did pounce, they made it count. The breakthrough came early in the second period after a costly turnover by Colorado’s Sam Malinski in the offensive zone. Cutter Gauthier seized the opportunity, carrying the puck into Avs territory before sliding a pass to Jeffrey Viel on the left. Using Malinski as a screen, Viel snapped a wrist shot past Scott Wedgewood for his second goal in three games since joining the Ducks. “They had nothing. I mean, I think they just dumped the puck for 40 minutes,” Wedgewood later remarked, reflecting on a night when he faced just 16 shots but still found himself trailing.

Viel’s goal capped a whirlwind week for the 28-year-old forward, who arrived in Anaheim via trade from Boston just days earlier. Known more for his grit than his scoring touch, Viel has already doubled his season tally in only three games with the Ducks, providing a timely boost to a roster missing key offensive contributors. Both Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish were unavailable for Anaheim, Carlsson sidelined since January 10 with a thigh injury and McTavish a late scratch due to an upper-body issue.

The Avalanche, too, were shorthanded. Captain Gabriel Landeskog, defenseman Devon Toews, and forward Joel Kiviranta remained out with various injuries, while Logan O’Connor continued his recovery from offseason hip surgery. The team recalled Jack Ahcan and Taylor Makar to fill the gaps, with Makar’s energetic play earning praise from Bednar. “He is skating. That’s what I really like about (Makar’s) game,” the coach said. “Every time he’s come up, he’s played well for us. His first shift of the game, he exploded up the ice and almost caught them on a 2-on-1.”

Despite their depleted lineup, Colorado’s relentless attack eventually paid dividends. With just 3:39 remaining in regulation, Artturi Lehkonen—shifted to the second line for the evening—buried a one-timer off a sharp feed from Brock Nelson to knot the score at 1-1. The goal ignited the Ball Arena crowd and kept the Avalanche from a regulation defeat, earning them a crucial point in the standings. It also marked Lehkonen’s second consecutive game with a goal, a welcome sign for a player who had been “fighting it a little bit in recent weeks,” according to Bednar.

Yet, for all their late heroics, the Avs couldn’t capitalize on two power-play opportunities, failing to generate sustained pressure with the man advantage. Ross Colton, mired in a goal-scoring drought stretching back to November 26, had two golden chances in the second period—both turned aside by Dostál. His frustration was palpable as he slammed his stick against the glass after the latter miss, emblematic of Colorado’s struggles to solve the Anaheim netminder.

Overtime brought more of the same: Colorado dictated the pace, outshooting Anaheim 3-0 in the extra frame. Nelson had the best look, but Dostál once again stood tall. The Ducks managed a late breakaway chance after a Nathan MacKinnon giveaway, but Wedgewood and Victor Olofsson combined to keep the puck out of the net, preserving the deadlock and sending the game to a shootout.

In the skills competition, Anaheim’s Mikael Granlund and Cutter Gauthier both found the back of the net, while Dostál denied Nelson and Martin Necas to clinch the win. The Ducks scored on two of three attempts, while the Avalanche came up empty, sealing a frustrating night for the home side. “At the end of the day, their goalie had a big night and we had a tough time with some of our execution early in the game so it wasn’t sustained for 60 minutes,” Bednar reflected. “Overtime was an experience, probably the most open overtime we’ve seen all year. … And then the shootout just is what it is.”

The defeat dropped Colorado’s record to 34-5-9 on the season and 5-3-2 over their last 10 games. While the result was disappointing, the Avalanche did manage to collect a point and remain atop the NHL standings. The Ducks, meanwhile, continued their hot streak, opening a six-game road trip with a statement win over one of the league’s elite squads. The night also marked a milestone for Anaheim’s Alex Killorn, who skated in his 1,000th NHL game—a testament to his longevity and the veteran presence he brings to a young Ducks team.

Looking ahead, the Avalanche will aim to finish their seven-game homestand on a high note as they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday. Meanwhile, the Ducks head to Seattle, riding the momentum of a five-game winning streak and a goaltender playing at the peak of his powers. Sometimes, as the Avalanche learned, hockey is a game of inches—and on this night, Lukáš Dostál made sure every one of them counted.