Chris Stewart scored the decisive goal in the
eighth round of the shootout, as the Colorado Avalanche remained unbeaten at
Pepsi Center with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Rookie Ryan O'Reilly tallied twice in regulation for the Avalanche, whose
6-0-0 start on home ice ties a franchise record. The 2007-08 squad and 1994-95
Quebec Nordiques also won six straight at home to begin the season.
David Jones registered a goal and an assist for Colorado, while Craig
Anderson, the NHL's First Star of the Month for October, stopped 29-of-32
shots in the win.
Dustin Byfuglien, Duncan Keith and Andrew Ladd each had a goal for the
Blackhawks, who have dropped three of four. Antti Niemi finished with 19
saves.
After Wojtek Wolski was turned away by Niemi to begin the extra segment,
Patrick Kane slipped a backhander between Anderson's legs. Marek Svatos fired
a wrister over the right shoulder of Niemi in the third round to keep Colorado
alive. Then the goaltenders became the story with each passing round.
Finally, Stewart beat Niemi on the blocker side with a shot. Byfuglien was the
last hope for Chicago and his attempt sailed wide of the net to end the game.
This contest was almost a mirror image of the first encounter between these
teams. The Blackhawks earned a 4-3 shootout win over Colorado on October 10,
with Ladd netting the winning goal in the ninth round of the extra segment.
Chicago drew first blood on a power-play marker by Byfuglien 6:27 into the
game. Keith then made it 2-0 at 10:36 of the opening frame when he cradled
Kane's feed from behind the Colorado net and ripped a shot past Anderson.
"We got the start we wanted tonight, then we got complacent," Chicago forward
Troy Brouwer said. "Anderson is a great goalie. He really has quick feet."
The resilient Avalanche scored the next three goals to seize the lead.
O'Reilly located the puck amid a scramble in front of Niemi and chipped a
backhander behind the Finnish goaltender with 1:22 to play in the first.
Colorado mustered only three shots in the second period, but two of them found
the back of the net in a span of 59 seconds.
While killing a penalty, Jones charged down the left wing, displaying
tremendous speed, and beat Niemi on the backhand. O'Reilly then was denied on
a breakaway, but buried his own rebound at 8:42.
"We sure didn't have a good start tonight," O'Reilly said. "It's seems like
all my goals are rebounds. The other guys do all the work and I get to put
(the puck) in."
Ladd tapped in a rebound of a Sharp shot to tie the game with 3:20 remaining
in the second.
Colorado outshot the Blackhawks, 12-7, in the final 20 minutes.
Game Notes
Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles suffered a shoulder injury in the
first period and did not return. He recently returned to the lineup after
missing seven games with a shoulder ailment...Colorado forward Milan Hejduk
appeared in his 800th career NHL game...Colorado is the only NHL team that
hasn't lost at home this season...Chicago captain Jonathan Toews missed his
sixth straight game due to concussion-like symptoms...Kane and Kris Versteeg
both collected two assists for Chicago...The two clubs will meet again at the
United Center on Wednesday.
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