Avalanche overcome Devils in shootout
The official game recap Colorado Avalanche vs New Jersey Devils.The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in a shootout Thursday at Pepsi Center.
Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly scored in the first and third rounds of the tiebreaker against Devils goalie Cory Schneider. Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov made a pad save against Patrik Elias in the first round and forced Adam Henrique to shoot wide in the second round.
Each goalie made five saves in overtime. Varlamov made a glove stop against Jaromir Jagr on a 2-on-1 Devils rush at 2:13, and Schneider got his pad in front of O'Reilly with 23 seconds left on a similar rush by the Avalanche.
O'Reilly scored for the third consecutive game to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 8:55 of the first period. O'Reilly, who has four goals in the streak, was in the slot when Patrick Bordeleau passed to him from behind the net. O'Reilly connected on a one-timer, beating Schneider high to the stick side.
The Devils tied the game at 8:59 of the third period on a goal by Reid Boucher, who tipped a shot by Andrei Loktionov from the right circle.
The Devils had more shots in the third period (18) than in the first two periods combined (11).
Varlamov made a big stop against Elias skating unimpeded down the slot at 6:45 of the third, and Schneider answered 30 seconds later with a save against O'Reilly from right in front.
Varlamov made five saves during a Devils power play that began at 2:51 of the third period after Avalanche defenseman Ryan Wilson cross-checked Dainius Zubrus.
The Avalanche were unable to convert the only power play of the first period and two more in the second. Colorado began the night 9-for-23 on power plays in an eight-game stretch.
The Devils have killed 33 of 37 penalties in an 11-game stretch.
The Avalanche outshot the Devils 13-2 in the second period. Ryane Clowe had New Jersey's first shot at 9:35, and Henrique had the other while helping to kill Loktionov's slashing penalty that started at 15:42.
Colorado's best scoring chance came at 3:32 when Nathan MacKinnon intercepted New Jersey defenseman Bryce Salvador's clearing attempt up the middle, but the rookie's shot was wide of the net. MacKinnon got to the puck after it caromed off the end boards and he tried to jam it inside the right post, but Schneider covered it.
Devils defenseman Eric Gelinas prevented what could have been a shorthanded breakaway by O'Reilly at 11:27 by tripping him just outside the New Jersey blue line, creating a 4-on-4 skating situation. The Avalanche failed to take advantage of the power play after Marc-Andre Cliche's tripping penalty expired.
-- by Rick Sadowski for NHL.com --
Eurolanche.com, Worldwide, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
17/01/2014 - 06:00
