Can rookie phenom Matt Duchene execute his regular season heroics at a playoff level? Avalanche fans, buckle your seatbelts... hockey's Second Season is almost here
- Image by Dinur via Flickr
The Vancouver Canucks matched the Colorado Avalanche goal-for-goal through three periods of hockey Tuesday night. But it was the Avalanche fighting for their playoff lives, and Colorado brought the fight to the Canucks’ doorstep early and often.
The Avalanche scored first on an unassisted Darcy Tucker tally through Robert Luongo’s legs just over 6 minutes into the opening salvo. It was only Tucker’s 9th goal on the season, but it couldn’t have come at more critical time. With Peter Mueller downed by a dirty Rob Blake hit two nights ago, the Avalanche were undermanned offensively going into this crucial final 4 games of the season.
Daniel Sedin tied it and TJ Galiardi put the Avs back up by a goal in the same minute late in the 1st Period.
At the end of one, Colorado managed a 1-goal lead in hostile territory.
Neither team could establish a clear advantage coming out of the break, but the 2nd Period served to catch the Canucks up to the Avalanche in shots on goal. Mason Raymond was able to bring the score back to even at 7 minutes. Vancouver was playing determined hockey, matching Colorado stride-for-stride in their push toward the playoffs.
Future Captain Paul Stastny put the Avalanche right back ahead 7 minutes later off a flawless cross-ice feed from Chris Stewart. These two are the heart and soul of this Avalanche offense going forward, and it’s an indescribable pleasure to watch them execute in the pinch.
Somewhere around the middle of the 3rd Period, Calgary lost at home to San Jose.
An Avalanche win would lock up the 8th seed for a 12th trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Avalanche played some premature defensive hockey, sitting back in their zone for much of the 3rd Period. A one-goal lead in a tight divisional road game is as unsafe as they come, and Daniel Sedin got his second score to match Colorado’s 3 on the night.
It seemed like the Avalanche were waiting for that goal, and immediately went from resting on their laurels to pushing the action deep into the Vancouver Zone. But the even score held through regulation, and Sedin’s goal score pushed the action to Overtime.
In OT, Daniel Sedin got a clean break in 4 on 4 play coming out of the Vancouver end.
Sedin had already put two shots past Craig Anderson on the evening. Terror time for the Avalanche.
Daniel slowed his momentum to make a play on Craig 1 on 1, but John Michael Liles, chasing the play hard from the breakout pass, dove and got a clean stick on the puck just as Daniel cocked to shoot. This is the same J-M Liles who was benched repeatedly this year for his lack of defensive fortitude. The same J-M Liles who scored the game-winning goal a game ago versus San Jose.
A healthy scratch mid-season, Liles was trusted to be on the ice in crucial situations throughout this game, and that trust paid off in a big way for coach Joe Sacco and the Avalanche Tuesday night.
The Canucks pressed the Avalanche Zone for the rest of the extra period, but Anderson made a series of great stops to maintain the tie.
With 0:10 left in OT, the Avalanche made a couple of nice passes to break the Vancouver pressure and dash through neutral ice. With less than a second left, Matt Duchene controlled the puck to the net, but couldn’t manage a shot as the Vancouver defense caught up and disrupted the threat. Matty looked devastated that he couldn’t at least level a shot at Luongo… keep that disappointment in mind.
The Shootout was a goalie dual to the end.
Through two shooters, Craig Anderson & Robert Luongo were playing their opponents flawlessly. Anderson was making the high, glove-side saves that have eluded him for a solid month, and Luongo was using his big body to start high in his crease and eliminate shots in stages.
In fact, Luongo played Matt Duchene perfectly on the Avalanche’s 3rd shot. Anderson had stonewalled three Cancucks, and it looked like this one would go to extra shooters. Then Duchene showed the goal-scoring flare that has eluded him through an untimely dry spell.
Moving right to left, Duchene lifted an unstoppable shot past Luongo’s glove. As puck met net, the Colorado bench erupted onto the ice to chase down rookie hero Matty D.
Avalanche clinch a playoff birth with three to play.
For all the trials, injuries and setbacks that have marred this surprisingly successful Avalanche season, Colorado is a Stanley Cup contender at last.
