The Colorado Avalanche needed a win on Tuesday and they had to rally past the Detroit Red Wings to get the victory.Tyson Barrie struck at 19:25 to get the Avs even at 3-3 and force extra time.
Nathan MacKinnon scored midway through the extra session to get the winner.
Nathan MacKinnon scored the OT winner in Denver – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
“Honestly, I was just going with my instincts,” MacKinnon said. “I didn’t even really look that much. I just saw the scouting report and it said high glove was a common place to score a goal on him.
“I just shot it. I wasn’t aiming for the post or anything, just find the right side. I think it kind of went by his ear, so it was an awkward spot to put his hand. It’s exciting to finally win one in OT. It feels good.”
Barrie had gone 17 games without a goal.
“I was going real good before the All-Star break and it’s been a little cold since then,” he said. “It’s been a little frustrating because I know my job is to produce and help this team score. It was nice to get a couple (points) tonight and hopefully they get the ball rolling.
“They seemed to be giving us a little time up top. [MacKinnon] threw it through to [Rantanen] and he made a nice little one touch (pass) right on the platter for me. It’s probably a shot I’ve taken 20 times in the last little while and it hasn’t gone in. I’m not usually super emotional when I score, but I think I gave a little fist pump there. I was pretty pumped. That one felt good.”
Varlamov made 20 saves to get the win.
Filip Zadina (first NHL goal), Danny DeKeyser and Niklas Kronwall were Detroit’s goal scorers.
“It’s good, it feels good and hopefully we win some games soon and it will be sweeter,” Zadina said. “That was a great pass [from Filip Hronek]. He saw me there and we’re kind of used to each other. It was a great moment. Unfortunately, we didn’t win.”
Mikko Rantanen and J.T. Compher also scored for Colorado.
“It feels good. I feel like we’ve said it all year long, it’s like we have a team that’s supposed to be good in overtime. It’s just gotten to the point where it’s just sort of locking our minds a little bit going into overtime and all of the sudden you don’t have that swagger, that confidence,” Gabriel Landeskog said after the win.
[WATCH:Â All Red Wings vs. Avalanche highlights]
Jonathan Bernier made 30 saves in the loss.
“We weren’t sharp enough,” Kronwall said. “I thought we grinded our way in. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but we set ourselves up pretty good in the third. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t hang in there.”
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