In Denver, the Avalanche got two power play goals late in their game whit the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
Valeri Nichushkin scored his second of the game in the 13th minute of the third period, off the power play, to tie the match, 4-4, and force extra time.
“He’s a beast, and it’s fun just to watch him play. He’s so big and powerful,” Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon said. “Even to draw that penalty at the end was unreal. It’s huge. I mean, you have a 4-on-3 for almost two minutes, (you’re) probably going to score. So, awesome job by [Nichushkin].”
MacKinnon scored 32 seconds into the extra session, off the power play, to complete the rally and give the Avs a 5-4 win.
Alexandar Georgiev made 18 saves in the win.
“We wanted to sort of repeat the third period from the other night (a 3-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday), and part of that is shooting the puck and part of that is getting multiple players to the net front to battle for screens, tips, rebounds, etc.,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “[Nichushkin] was the first guy going there, and he got rewarded twice for it tonight, one even strength and the one at the end of the game, and then even to draw the penalty at the end of the game. He’s just driving his legs and taking it into seams, and he was awesome tonight.”
Colorado improved to 24-11-3 off their third straight win.
New York took a 1-0 lead in the opening stanza on a marker from Pierre Engvall at 5:39.
“I think we played a pretty good game,” Engvall said. “Did a lot of good things out there, but obviously we’re not happy with the way the game ended there.”
The Avs replied with a strike by Devon Toews at 6:11 to tie the match, 1-1
The Islanders’ Brock Nelson sent the game to the middle frame with a 2-1 lead to New York with 32 seconds left in the period, the goal came off the power play.
The Isles dropped to 17-10-10.
“I thought there was moments when we probably could have got two (points), but we have to understand, as a group collectively, about managing the puck better,” New York coach Lane Lambert said. “It’s that simple. Put ourselves in some situations that we don’t and can’t continue to put ourselves in. But the effort was there.”
The Islanders pushed the lead to 3-1 when Simon Holmstrom scored at 1:09 of the middle frame.
“A point is good to build on. We obviously wanted two tonight and were in a position, but tough game tonight, and I thought our guys grinded,” the Islanders’ Anders Lee said. “They had a lot of zone time. I think we did a really good job of keeping them to the outside.”
Nichushkin’s first of the game came at at 4:18 of the second.
“Down a goal, down two goals, those guys are going to see a lot of ice time,” Bednar said. “If we get down, I’m going to go with the guys that I think can help us, try to get us back to square.”
The Avs’ Johnathan Drouin scored at 8:24 of the middle frame to tie it, 3-3.
“He’s earned his trust because he’s playing the game the right way with and without the puck,” Bednar said. “He’s doing all the right things away from the puck. So, I trust to put him out in all types of situations up or down, and he’s playing well. He’s helping us create offensive opportunities for himself, for his linemates, power play. I mean, he’s doing a lot for us right now.”
Midway through the second period, the Islanders’ Alexander Romanov reclaimed the lead with a goal to make it 4-3 headed to the third period.
Ilya Sorokin, who made 23 saves in the loss.
You must be logged in to post a comment.