Ilya Bryzgalov and the tough Phoenix D held down a dangerous Avalanche attack for a 6-3 win
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What a way to start a crucial hockey game with major playoff implications.
At 6:45 of the 1st Period, the Coyotes’ Derek Morris put a tipped shot wide of the net through a heavy screen. Colorado’s Kyle Cumiskey, skating towards the net with his stick on the ice, barely saw the puck as it deflected off his stick and into the Avs’ net for a Phoenix Goal.
That’s hockey Karma for you.
The Avalanche induced two own-goals from the Kings in two games this week, and puck-luck only goes your way for so long. To start such a big game out with such a bad break seems a bit cruel though.
A Hooking penalty on Brett Clark less than a minute later threatened to put the Avalanche in a two-goal hole early. Phoenix has been on an incredible run in the last two weeks. The Coyotes have gone from scrapping with the likes of Colorado & Los Angeles for playoff position to jockeying with top-seeds like Vancouver & San Jose.
Turns out it was the Avs’ turn to get lucky.
A good clearing pass on the Penalty Kill turned into an odd-man rush and a shorthanded chance. Three Avalanche players skated circles around a tired Phoenix Power Play unit in the Coyotes zone just long enough for Kevin Porter to unload a looping shot through a sea of bodies from the point. The puck came about head-high and started to drop through the slot, but tipped off a Phoenix defender’s right shoulder and fluttered past Ilya Bryzgalov for a Colorado Goal.
Kevin Porter, you may remember, was the forgotten player in the trade that sent Wojtek Wolski to Phoenix and brought Peter Meuller to Colorado. Porter initially was slated to end up in Lake Erie, but was called to NHL action as the Avalanche endured more injuries at the forward positions.
The Avalanche finished out the PK with strong defense, and generated a Power Play of their own a few minutes later. In what could have been another twisted turn of fortunes, Phoenix took a Neutral Zone turnover right at Craig Anderson. Craigers was having none of it, and deflected a shot posted to the top right corner with what could best be described as a champion-quick shrug of his shoulder.
The remainder of the 1st Period through the first part of the second kept a playoff pace.
This close to hockey’s Second Season, nothing comes easy working in the Offensive Zone. That was especially true for the Avalanche leading into the Coyotes’ next two scores. Colorado generated a number of good scoring chances in the Phoenix end, but couldn’t make them count.
Then a 3 on 3 break the other way for Phoenix devolved into a screened shot for ex-Av Wolski. Good for a Phoenix Goal. The Avalanche were spending more time on offense, but it was transition play that turned the tide.
The 2-1 lead for the Coyotes came at 6:25 of the 2nd, and it only took three more minutes to make it a 3-1 lead. Again, the Avalanche were playing solid hockey, but a seemingly harmless shot from Taylor Pyatt tucked itself inside the near post for another Phoenix Goal.
Phoenix knew better than to back off up by 2 goals.
The Avalanche are as dangerous as any team in the league playing from behind. The Coyotes maintained an excellent flow from shift to shift right up to the closing minute of the 2nd Period, but Colorado never quieted down. The Avs continued to fight hard and that transitioned to good Offensive Zone possessions.
Colorado’s 2nd line had been their most dangerous all night long, and with 0:33 left Matt Duchene put a beautiful feed into the slot from behind the Phoenix net. The Coyotes somehow lost track of veteran Avalanche forward Milan Hejduk on the play, and The Duke took the pass and put it past Bryzgalov’s glove to narrow the deficit to 2-3. Colorado Goal
The Avalanche came out strong in the final frame, determined to get at least one point out of a key road game. Colorado generated some great offensive energy, highlighted by back-to-back scoring chances for the 2nd & 1st lines.  Then, as is too often the case in the NHL, a bumbling referee changed the course of the game.
Chris Stewart tossed a nice backhand on net from the high slot, and Paul Stastny slammed at rebounds until the puck slid out to the left of the crease. The referee, behind the net and with the worst possible view on the play, blew his whistle believing that the puck had been frozen. The ensuing faceoff was won by Colorado, but Phoenix had a pick play planned off the win. A 2 on 1 developed, and Lee Stempniak put a gorgeous shot past Craig Anderson to renew the 2 score advantage. Phoenix Goal
Increasingly, NHL referees have been overly aggressive with their whistles when the puck is in the crease.
The logic is that the league is trying to protect vulnerable goaltenders with players crashing the net around them, but referees have proven themselves to be selective in the role of protector. What was a whistle for veteran goalie Bryzgalov would not have been a freeze for Anderson, and hasn’t been throughout the season. Anderson has seen more than his share of dangerous situations as a result with players piling on top of him and the puck clearly underneath his pads.
This time, the premature freeze took the Avalanche off a clear advantage against worn-out Phoenix defenders, and allowed the Coyotes to disrupt five solid minutes of Colorado domination. In a game predicated largely on the flow of play, such a careless whistle spelled doom for the Avalanche.
The Avs skated hard for the next 10 minutes of game play, again generating chances but having no luck solving very active Phoenix defense. A late Power Play resulted in another Stempniak score. Phoenix Goal for a 2-5 lead.
An empty-net Phoenix Goal with a minute and a half left made the final score 3-6 Phoenix.
