COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Matt Duchene marked his return to the ice by scoring at 1:49 of overtime, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night at Nationwide Arena.

One of Colorado's alternate captains, Duchene missed four games prior to Monday's game after sustaining a concussion against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 11 at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

The well-rested Avalanche (9-9-0) finished their three-game road trip on a positive note, taking advantage of a tired Columbus team playing its second game in as many nights.

"We didn't play our best game tonight, but we found a way to come out with a big period in the second period," said Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. "In the third, we needed the save, and Varly gave it to us. There were a bunch of guys contributing, and it was ugly at times.

"We came on the road and played three pretty solid games, winning two of them. It just proves we can do it if we stick with it."

Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson also scored for Colorado, which got 40 saves from Semyon Varlamov.

In what seems to be the new "normal" for the Blue Jackets in making late-game comebacks, Cam Atkinson scored the tying goal with seven seconds remaining in regulation. It was Atkinson's second goal of the game and seventh of the season.

Curtis McElhinney made 24 saves for the Blue Jackets (10-4-3) in just his second start of the season.

"It comes down to me making a big save," said McElhinney about allowing the overtime goal. "I'll take some 'ownage' of it. That kind of falls on me in those situations."

After a scramble in front of and around Varlamov, Atkinson gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead nine minutes into the game. Atkinson fired the puck at the goal, where it pinballed through a few Colorado players before trickling across the goal line.

Through the first 20 minutes of the game, the Blue Jackets held a 14-8 advantage in shots on goal.

As Alex Wennberg emerged from the penalty box after being called for hooking early in the second period, Tyson Barrie took a shot from the point through traffic that found the back of the net to even the score for the Avalanche.

Colorado took their first lead of the game at 9:00 of the second period as Johnson scored from above the left circle to make it 2-1.

"We didn't start awesome," said Johnson, "It was really nice to get a win for Varly. We got him some goal support, finally. He's played really good and we haven't gotten him goals. So, it was good to get him some support.

"We were a little flat in the third, really good in the second and found a way to win in overtime."

Fedor Tyutin scored a point in his first game against his former team after being credited with an assist on Johnson's goal. He fed Nathan MacKinnon on the sidewall, who then passed the puck cross-ice to Johnson.

The Blue Jackets thought they had tied the game late in the period after Brandon Dubinsky shoveled the puck into the Avalanche net. Bednar challenged the goal call, alleging goaltender interference.

After the play was reviewed by the NHL's "war room" in Toronto, the call on the ice was overturned.

"I'm pleased with the way we kept coming and grabbed a point," said Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella. "It's a game where you need to try and find a way to win it if you want to get somewhere in April."

The Avalanche went 2-1 on their road trip, with the only loss coming in Dallas.

NOTES: The Blue Jackets activated D Seth Jones off injured reserve and returned LW Markus Hannikainen to the Cleveland Monsters (AHL). Jones missed six games with a hairline fracture in his foot. ... Columbus D Dalton Prout is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and missed the last four games. ... In the series between the Blue Jackets and the Avalanche, the winner has posted at least three goals in the nine of the past 11 games. ... Avalanche RW Rene Bourque and D Fedor Tyutin made their first returns to Columbus since leaving the organization. ... The Blue Jackets scratched Prout and D Scott Harrington. ... The Avalanche scratched C Joe Colborne, D Eric Gelinas and LW Gabriel Landeskog.