The Anaheim Ducks took a fifth straight victory with a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, Teemu Selanne's first goal of the season helping the visitors end a nine-game road trip on a high note.

The Stanley Cup champions started their long journey with four straight losses, one in a shootout, only to reel off five victories after Selanne returned to the line-up.

The veteran right winger missed the first 56 games of the season as he contemplated retirement but his first goal for the Ducks in his fifth game back proved to be decisive.

The 37-year-old Finn levelled the scores with a powerplay goal early in the second period before Samuel Pahlsson added the winning strike with 4:21 remaining to continue Anaheim's surge up the Western Conference standings.

"It's kind of a tough game for us, the last game of a road trip, going home and everything," Pahlsson said. "I think it's easy to think about other things. We battled hard through the game and that's what got us the win."

Marek Svatos gave Colorado an early lead with a goal just 1:37 into the game but the Avalanche were unable to add to their tally as the Ducks rallied.

"It felt like a playoff game and it was played like a playoff game," Colorado goalie Jose Theodore said.

"I'm happy with the way the guys competed for 60 minutes."

The Ducks have allowed only five goals during their winning streak as well as finishing the road trip by ending a six-game losing run at the Pepsi Center that had spanned more than five years.

Thomas Vanek's hat-trick helped the Buffalo Sabres move into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 5-1 road win over the Ottawa Senators.

Buffalo is 7-0-2 in the last nine games and spoiled the debuts of Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore, who the Sens acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.

Stillman had an assist on Tuesday.

The Nashville Predators handed the visiting Detroit Red Wings their fourth straight loss as Alexander Radulov scored twice in a 4-2 victory.

The Red Wings still lead the NHL with 87 points.

Trent Hunter had a goal and two assists and the New York Islanders ended a pair of seven-game streaks with a 4-3 home victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Islanders had lost seven straight games overall as well as seven in a row on home ice.

The visiting Carolina Hurricanes got two early goals from Andrew Ladd and held on for a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins.

Carolina led 3-0 when Shawn Thornton scored his first two goals with the Bruins late on to make the game close.

Reuters