Duchene OT goal lifts Avs past Jets
The official game recap Colorado Avalanche vs Winnipeg Jets.Matt Duchene scored 2:27 into overtime Monday to give the Colorado Avalanche a 3-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets at Pepsi Center.
Duchene came out of the left corner while being checked by Jets left wing Dustin Byfuglien and went to the net. Byfuglien knocked the puck away from Duchene, but Jets defenseman Tobias Enstrom poked it back to Duchene, who backhanded a shot over goalie Al Montoya.
Two days after losing center Paul Stastny to a back injury on his first shift Saturday, the Avalanche lost right wing PA Parenteau to a knee injury on his second shift in the first period against the Jets.
The Avalanche finished the game with 10 forwards and seven defensemen.
The Avalanche tied the game 2-2 on a goal by defenseman Andre Benoit with 11.2 seconds remaining in the second period. John Mitchell won a draw from Olli Jokinen in the left circle and swept the puck to Benoit at the left point. Benoit moved in a few strides and fired a shot by Montoya, who was screened.
Byfuglien scored two goals 1:48 apart in the period to give his team a 2-1 lead.
The Jets scored 23 seconds into their first power play of the game at 15:48 after Avalanche defenseman Cory Sarich was penalized for holding. Bryan Little took a shot that Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov stopped, but the puck squirted in front and Byfuglien was able to reach around defenseman Jan Hejda with his stick to sweep the puck inside the right post.
Byfuglien scored again at 17:36 after Varlamov made a save against Michael Frolik. The puck went behind the net, and Byfuglien poked it inside the near post by Varlamov's right skate.
Mitchell was credited with a goal, his first point in 12 games, to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 4:38 of the second. He skated down the left wing and attempted to pass to Nathan MacKinnon driving to the net. MacKinnon and Jets defenseman Zach Bogosian got their sticks down, and the puck went in off Bogosian's blade.
Mitchell started the game centering the third line, but he moved up to a unit with Gabriel Landeskog and MacKinnon after Parenteau was injured.
The Jets were outshot 11-9 in the scoreless first period, but they had the better scoring chances even though the Avalanche had four power plays, three in the first 10-plus minutes.
The Avalanche totaled three shots on goal on their power plays, no shots on their last two man advantages of the period.
Varlamov made a glove save against Jim Slater on a penalty shot at 13:01 of the first. Slater tried to pick the top corner of the net with his shot, but Varlamov knocked down the puck with his glove.
Varlamov made another big stop against Evander Kane with 1:30 to go in the period. Kane used his speed to skate down the left wing past Hejda. He cut across the slot for a shot that Varlamov stopped with his left pad.
Jets center John Albert left the game at 6:11 of the second period with an undisclosed injury. He did not return.
-- by Rick Sadowski for NHL.com --
Eurolanche.com, Worldwide, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
11/03/2014 - 05:00
