Colorado 3, Winnipeg 2
When: 9:00 PM ET, Friday, November 11, 2016
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Referees:
Gord Dwyer, Tim Peel
Linesmen:
Ryan Gibbons, Shane Heyer
Attendance:
16517
By The Sports Xchange
DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche were searching for a break to snap them out of their slump.
They got a big one Friday night.
Rene Bourque was credited with his second goal after Nikolaj Ehlers shot the puck into his own net 1:23 into overtime, lifting the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets to snap a two-game skid.
"We're sick of losing," Bourque said. "Just a big win. We were up two, they come back and we fight to stay in it and find a way to win."
Mikko Rantanen scored his first NHL goal and Semyon Varlamov stopped 16 shots to snap his personal five-game losing streak.
Varlamov made a big save on Blake Wheeler's breakaway early in the overtime before the wild ending.
The Avalanche controlled the puck for much of overtime, but it was the Jets who beat themselves. Ehlers had the puck along the boards and backhanded it toward his own net and between the legs of goaltender Michael Hutchinson.
Bourque got credit for the goal because he was the last Colorado player to touch the puck.
"I'll take 20 more of those," Bourque said. "I was just behind the net and it kind of got moved to the corner and we were still battling two-on-two and he got the loose puck and just fired it. I didn't even see it."
Ehlers said he was simply trying to make a play when the puck ended up in his own net.
"I felt some pressure from two guys and thought I had some support," he said. "I tried to get the puck off the boards and to Toby (Enstrom). The puck got past him and into the net."
The news wasn't all good for the Avalanche. Leading scorer Matt Duchene took a hit to the head in the second period and didn't return.
"I know they said in the intermission they were going to take a look at him and then I got word on the bench he wasn't coming back," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "I'm hoping he's going to be back (soon), but I have to talk with them and see what the plan is for him. He's played real well for us. He's been the driving force to the bulk of our offense this season."
Wheeler had a goal and an assist, Mark Scheifele also scored and Ehlers had two assists. Hutchinson finished with 25 saves.
After trading chances in the first period, the Avalanche broke through 1:03 into the second.
Just 15 seconds after Scheifele went off for tripping, Rantanen set up in the right circle and roofed a shot that went off Hutchinson's shoulder and in.
"They gave me a lot of room and I looked to get it to a linemate for a tip, but no one was open so I ripped it over the glove," Rantanen said. "Of course it feels good, especially when we win the game."
The Avalanche went ahead 2-0 when Bourque skated down the left side and put his stick out to redirect a pass from Tyson Barrie at 9:33 of the second. It was his third of the season and gave Colorado its first two-goal lead at home since opening night.
The Jets erased the deficit in a span of 2:33. Wheeler got them within a goal with his fifth of the season and Scheifele tied it on the power play with his 10th on the year.
"This is my ninth year in this league of being able to be a pretty productive player, so I don't dwell on scoring goals or getting assists," Wheeler said. "I'm trying to help win hockey games for this team, help lead this team to play the right way. That's where my focus is, contributing is obviously a plus."
NOTES: Jets D Jacob Trouba made his season debut Friday night. Trouba was holding out to start the season and signed a two-year contract worth $3 million per season on Monday. Trouba, 22, was a restricted free agent. ... Avalanche F Blake Comeau missed his third straight game with a groin injury. Cody McLeod took his place on the fourth line. ... Winnipeg F Mathieu Perreault missed his fifth straight game with a lower-body injury. He is considered day-to-day. ... Avalanche RW Jarome Iginla played in his 1,487 game, tying Wayne Gretzky for 18th on the NHL all-time list. ... Jets D Paul Postma was a healthy scratch.
Top Game Performances
Winnipeg |
|
Colorado |
Blake Wheeler 2 |
Points |
Rene Bourque 2 |
Blake Wheeler 1 |
Goals |
Rene Bourque 2 |
Nikolaj Ehlers 2 |
Assists |
Tyson Barrie 1 |
Mark Scheifele 1 |
Power Play Goals |
Mikko Rantanen 1 |
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
Michael Hutchinson .893 |
Save Percentage |
Semyon Varlamov .889 |
Michael Hutchinson 25 |
Saves |
Semyon Varlamov 16 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
Winnipeg
|
18 |
2 |
1-6 |
4-5 |
15 |
23 |
Colorado
|
28 |
3 |
1-5 |
5-6 |
17 |
33 |
Upcoming Games
-
Colorado will play their next game at home against Boston. The Avalanche have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .571 after a loss.
-
Winnipeg will play their next game at home against Los Angeles. The Jets have a W/L % of .286 after a win and .556 after a loss.