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| Avalanche players Paul Stastny, Aaron Palushaj and David Jones celebrate with Matt Duchene after scoring the shootout winning goal |
I missed the first two periods of this game but got back in time for the third, however I just watched the full game highlights so I have a good sense of this game. It has occured to me over the past 2 years that while Giguere is in net the Avs play with more intensity, something that starts from J.S himself; you can see how passionate he is on the ice. The Avs battled through some adversity tonight, trailing 3-2 in the 3rd and playing with a major injury-depleted roster (Landeskog, Downie, Wilson, Johnson, O'Reilly all hurt/out of the lineup) the line of Duchene-Parenteau-McGinn caried them once again. In particular it was the Matt Duchene show tonight (what else is new?), simply put we are seeing a new player this season and regardless of the Avs mediocre start he one of few positives. The Duchene of his 1st 3 seasons always had the skill factor, but he lacked that complete game and often times disappeared later in games. This is not the case anymore, Duchene is simply stronger and faster than ever before and it seems his postseason workout has completely changed his mentality on the ice. Onto the game, Aaron Palushaj opened the scoring in the 2nd with his 1st goal as an Av after a nifty Paul Stastny pass sent him and Jones on a 2-on-1. The Wild responded minutes later, as Zach Parise converted on wrap-around to beat Giguere and tie the game. The Avs would take the lead late in the 3rd, as the birthday boy Milan Hejduk (37 years old) converted on a rebound on the PP to put the Avs up 2-1 after 2. The Wild would go on to tie the game minutes in the 3rd, as newly acquired Mike Rupp banged home a rebound. However, a fiery Giguere was extremely upset at this goal as the replay clearly shows Rupp pushing Giguere's leg into the net with the puck, certainly in my eyes it was goaltender interference. The Wild would then take the lead on a turnover right infront of the Avs net, as Koivu buried the rebound to put the Wild ahead. However, the Duchene line responded with a long shift in the offensive zone and a Matt Duchene rebound bounced off Jared Spurgeon into his own net to tie the game. The Avs would get a late PP and it caried into OT, Niklas Backstrom made a huge save on Parenteau and no one scored in OT. Hejduk and Duchene would score in the shootout, with Parise and Koivu both being stopped by Giguere. Huge two points for a team with big injuries.
Three Stars:
3. Milan Hejduk - He had a goal and a goal in the shootout, all on his 37th birthday
2. Zach Parise - Parise was all over the ice tonight, with a goal and +2 taking 9 shots on net
1. Matt Duchene - Once again the best player on the ice, he really is starting to take this team on his back with all the injuries. Duchene scored the big tying goal minutes after the Wild took the lead, and got the winner in the shootout with a perfect shot
Avalanche Play of the Game - Aaron Palushaj's goal gets it tonight, it was his 1st in an Avs sweater and really a nice tick-tack-toe passing play started by Stastny
Avalanche Misplay of the Game - Matt Hunwick's lazy turnover leading to the 2nd Wild goal, he needs to be stronger near the net
Game #13 - The Avs head to Edmonton to play their 3rd game of the season against the Oilers on Saturday night (10pm)
-Joel Forman - Colorado Avalanche News
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