Two Western Conference rivals will face off at the Duck Pond tonight as the Anaheim Ducks are hosting the Colorado Avalanche. The visitors have played some decent hockey lately and have been rewarded with the decision in six of their last seven games. It's probably too little too late though as they're still six points back of a wild card. Anaheim is tied for the league-lead with the Canadiens and should prove to be too strong here.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. The Avs Goaltending Situation - The Avs are coming straight off a 5-2 win at Arizona last night and have struggled playing on back-to-back night's all season long. That is particularly true for their star netminder Semyon Varlamov who is 1-4-0 with a 3.86 GAA in five starts this season with no rest. The other option is Reto Berra who is posting a 3.42 GAA over 14 appearances on the season.

2. Home Cookin' - The Ducks have won four of their last five at home, defeating quality teams in the Kings x 2, the Canadiens and the Preds. Their 24-10-3 record on home ice ranks among the best in the NHL.

3. X-Factor - The Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen leads the Ducks blue-liners in both goals and points despite missing 15 straight games. He could be back in the line-up tonight, adding yet another attacking threat to an already very potent Ducks offense.

Selection: This is a play on the Anaheim Ducks