Matt Duchene scored the tying goal in regulation and later scored the shootout winner in a 4-3 win over Minnesota Thursday. Duchene, one of the lone bright spots among the struggling Colorado club, also fired three shots on goal in the win. Milan Hejduk and Aaron Palushaj also scored for the victorious Avs.

Matt Duchene didn't practice Wednesday, but he's still expected to play Thursday night. He has been nursing a sore hip, which is a bit concerning because he was limited to 58 games last season due to knee and foot/ankle injuries. Duchene appears to be fine to play though, so dress him if you normally would. He has performed well in 2013 with three goals and seven assists in 11 games.

Forwards Matt Duchene, Milan Hejduk and Jamie McGinn all returned to action Monday after getting hurt earlier in the game. The Avs players are dropping like flies as injuries are taking its toll with the club. The three were injured as was Erik Johnson and Patrick Bordeleau in the game against the Coyotes but Johnson and Bordeleau did not return. In any case, we would suggest against playing your Avs in most pools as they are a undermanned squad at the present time.

Matt Duchene scored his third goal of the season in the Avalanches 3-2 overtime loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. Duchene is one of the few Avalanche forwards that are being productive, scoring 10 points in 11 games. He's the closest thing the team has to a franchise forward up front at age 22. This rising star is a must start in all leagues.

Matt Duchene lashed out after the Colorado Avalanche suffered a 3-0 loss on Wednesday. "It's painful right now," Duchene said. "It's the same story every night. We're playing well 5-on-5, but we can't seem to find a win in those games. We've got to figure out a way to score a goal. It's the bottom line. We've been shut out three times in 10 games. That's unacceptable. That's almost 50-percent of the games we're getting shut out in. That's a joke. We've got to figure it out here. We've got to bear down more in practice and try to make a few more plays every now and then. We're just knifing the puck in all the time instead of trying to get inside and score a goal." It doesn't help that Colorado is missing Gabriel Landeskog and Steve Downie due to injuries and Ryan O'Reilly is still a restricted free agent.

The Colorado Avalanche were defeated 3-0 against the Anaheim Ducks, but Matt Duchene shouldn't receive the blame. Duchene is clearly going all-out this season. He had four shots on goal and went 16-6 in the faceoff circle, but couldn't manage a point. The 22-year-old forward has points in 10 games this season, and his 29 shots on goal indicate that he hasn't even received many bounces. This could be a big bounce-back year for him.

Matt Duchene scored two goals to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-0 shutout over the Columbus Blue Jackets. His second goal, scored late in the third period, was a thing of beauty. The goals were Duchene's first two of the season. He also recorded an assist (his second of the season) on P.A. Parenteau's second goal of the season. Also scoring his second goal of the season was John Mitchell. Milan Hejduk had two assists for the Avs.

Matt Duchene is fine after being struck in the chin by the puck on Tuesday. "I'm lucky. I'm lucky, it could have taken all my teeth," Duchene said. "I thought it broke my jaw at first. The feeling came back and I was like, 'Oh OK I'm alright.' It hit me so square." Duchene logged a team-leading 22:09 minutes on Tuesday.

Matt Duchene made lifestyle adjustments this offseason with improvements on the ice in mind. The talented forward had just 28 points after recording 67 the year before. It was an embarrassment that caused some dramatic changes. "I've changed everything - eating, stuff in the gym, stuff I do before games, everything," Duchene said. "I eat fish almost every day, taking some different supplements and stuff. What I wanted to do this summer was learn more about my body and what made it tick. I was doing some stuff that worked for some guys, but it didn't work for me. I'm the type of guy who doesn't accept failure, and last year obviously didn't go the way I wanted in the second half, so it was time to make some adjustments."

Matt Duchene has rejoined his teammates and participated in a scrimmage with them on Tuesday. Duchene had to travel for 27 hours to get to Denver. "I'm tired from the jet lag and the thin air kind of hit me, but it's great to be back," he said. He had four goals and 14 points in 19 SEL games and participated in the Spengler Cup. While his European numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, the fact that he has played high-level hockey recently should serve him well over the initial weeks of the season.