Tough Stretch Starts Against Avalanche

After winning at home for only the second time in six games, the Mighty Ducks will try improve their position in the Western Conference with six of their next seven games on the road.

Following a sigh-of-relief, 2-1 victory over last-place Nashville on Wednesday at the Arrowhead Pond, the Ducks are still ahead of only Nashville and Edmonton in the Western Conference.

Tonight, they face a banged-up Colorado team in Denver, come home to play Minnesota on Sunday, then have five in a row on the road. The Avalanche probably will be without defenseman Rob Blake, who left Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to Ottawa with a groin injury, and goalie Patrick Roy, who has missed two games because of a sore hip.

“We talk about concentrating on our game, our team and just getting better,” defenseman Keith Carney said. “We have to do that quick. We don’t have time to waste. We have to get points.”

A year ago, that was also the case. The Ducks had a 6-7-1 record Nov. 6, then went on a nine-game winless streak. “I don’t think anybody wants to be in the same mood,” said Petr Sykora, who was with New Jersey last season. “I don’t even know that mood because I wasn’t here last year. But I heard about it. I don’t think that the guys are going let that happen. We are not where we want to be in the standings, but it takes a long time to get on top.”

The Ducks beat the Avalanche in overtime Oct. 20 but are winless in their last five games in Denver (0-3-2). “Right now, we have to put a bunch of games together where we play our best hockey,” Carney said.

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The Ducks will hold a canned-food drive to benefit the Orange County Rescue Mission and the Second Harvest Food Bank, beginning with their game against the Wild on Sunday. Fans who bring nonperishable food items to the next three Sunday home games will receive a voucher for two tickets to a game this season.

TONIGHT

at Colorado, 6 PST

Fox Sports Net 2

Site -- Pepsi Center, Denver.

Radio -- KPLS (830).

Records -- Ducks 4-6-3-0, Avalanche 4-3-4-2.

Record vs. Avalanche -- 1-0-0-0.

Update -- The Avalanche is 0-3-3-0 at the Pepsi Center, the longest home winless streak in the franchise’s 24-year history.