Wolski, Coyotes nip Avalanche day after trade
The Coyotes beat the Avalanche 3-1 on the strength of a late Wolski score and an empty-netter by another former Avalanche winger, Radim Vrbata, with 0:01 left in the contest.
- Image by Dinur via Flickr
Wojtek Wolski tried not to sound like he enjoyed it after the game, but you know he relished the opportunity to down the Avalanche a day after Colorado traded the talented Left Wing to Phoenix.
“It was tough playing against my old team, but I put that behind,” said Wolski after downing the Avs with a game-winning goal 0:22 before the end of the 3rd Period.
Wojtek has never played for any NHL team other than the Avalanche, the club that drafted him in the first round (21st Overall) of the 2004 Entry Draft. He put four shots on net, tied for the most by a Phoenix player. Wolski also logged more ice time than any other Coyotes forward, and was out almost all of both Phoenix power plays.
Colorado gave up a weak goal early, but brought Phoenix down to the wire before folding in the final minute. The slow, defensive game favored The Coyotes from the beginning, although the Avalanche got off to a much better start than in their previous two games against Detroit and at Anaheim.
In fact, returned hero Stephane Yelle put an early shot off the crossbar in his first action with the Avalanche since 2002. Yelle was part of another trade deadline story yesterday, the most active deadline day in NHL history (56 players moved). He spent 6 years with the Flames before signing consecutive one-year deals with Boston & Carolina. His return to the Avalanche fits the pattern of moves made by Joe Sacco & Co this season. Stephane is a strong, veteran defensive forward presumably brought in to settle down a young team going into the season’s stretch run.
On the night that Wojtek Wolski put down his former team, the winger he was traded for also had a strong game. Peter Mueller notched the best assist on the Avalanche’s only goal, a Power Play tally in the 2nd Period by John-Michael Liles. Wolski & Mueller were both slapped with penalties in what must have been an intense game for each player.
