ESPN NHL

ANAHEIM (AP)-- He was Jiggy again.

Struggling this season, Anaheim's Jean-Sebastien Giguere returned to form Friday night and stopped 38 shots in the Ducks' 1-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.

"I felt the best I've felt this year, and I was seeing the puck very well. The puck was sticking to me real nice, and I was real patient," Giguere said after his first win in more than a month.

"The defensemen played unbelievable in front of me, so if you put all that together, it makes for a good game."

Sergei Fedorov's power-play goal in the first period, his 11th, gave Giguere all he would need.

The Ducks' goaltender, the MVP of last spring's Stanley Cup finals, earned his first shutout of the season and his first win since a 4-3 victory over St. Louis on Nov. 16. He had gone 0-5-2 over that stretch until blanking the Avalanche.

Particularly effective at smothering the puck when Colorado had traffic in front of the net, Giguere made 17 saves in the second period and 16 more in the third.

"Even though they only had five shots in the first period, I knew they would be coming," said Giguere, who earned his 17th career shutout and improved his record to 5-13-2 this season.

He was playing for just the second time since he was pulled in a 6-2 loss at Atlanta on Dec. 5. He sat out the last three games while Martin Gerber was in goal; Anaheim went 1-2.

Colorado's Teemu Selanne seemed frustrated after the loss, the Avalanche's second in a row after an eight-game unbeaten (4-0-4) streak.

"It was just one of those games where nothing was getting through," said Selanne, who got off only one shot. "We've struggled a little lately, are trying too hard, want it too much when we have a chance."

The game drew a crowd of 17,174, the Ducks' first sellout since their home opener. Many fans bought tickets well in advance, anticipating the return of Paul Kariya for his first game back against his former teammates.

But Kariya, who left Anaheim to join former Ducks teammate Selanne with Colorado, didn't make the trip because of a lingering wrist injury that has sidelined him for 24 games this season.

Selanne, who played in San Jose after Anaheim traded him in March 2001 and signed with the Avalanche before this season, drew loud boos from the Ducks' fans almost every time he touched the puck.

Asked whether he thought the fans were venting against him because Kariya wasn't available, Selanne said, "I hope not. If they boo him like that after what he did here, it would be embarrassing to them."

Fedorov's goal at 14:38 capped a fine passing sequence, beginning when Sandis Ozolinsh threaded the puck to Fedorov on the right wing.

Fedorov skated around the top of the right circle, passed to Petr Sykora on the left side, then continued down the crease. Sykora slid the puck right back to him and Fedorov's one-timer sailed past goaltender David Aebischer's glove.

Game notes

Ozolinsh, back after missing four games because of bruised ribs, left the game late in the second period with a strained left shoulder. ... Anaheim D Keith Carney was back after missing two games with a sore back. ... Colorado C Peter Forsberg, out with a groin injury, might play Saturday against Los Angeles. ... Kariya has three goals and two assists in his seven games for the Avalanche. Fedorov, signed as a free agent by Anaheim after Kariya left, has 13 assists along with his 11 goals.