chrism
11-29-2009, 09:36 PM
C/P from FoxNews
DENVER — Mikko Koivu and Andrew Ebbett scored in the shootout, and Josh Harding stopped both of Colorado's shooters to help the Minnesota Wild beat the Avalanche 3-2 on Saturday night for a home-and-home sweep.
Eric Belanger and Guillamume Latendresse scored in regulation, and Harding made 20 saves for Minnesota, which beat Colorado 5-3 on Friday night in St. Paul.
Craig Anderson made 34 saves, and Matt Duchene and Matt Hendricks scored for Colorado. The Avalanche have lost five of their last six games.
Trailing 2-0, the Wild chipped away at the Colorado lead. Belanger scored 57 seconds into the second period, and Latendresse scored with 8:46 left in regulation.
The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead when Hendricks, fresh off injured reserve, scored on a give-and-go with Chris Durno with 11:38 left in the first period.
Colorado nearly took a 2-0 lead 2:38 later, but Duchene's goal was waived off because he knocked in the puck with a high stick.
Duchene got his goal later in the period. Wojtek Wolski sent a pass across the Minnesota zone to Paul Stastny, who fed Duchene at the left circle. Josh Harding was inadvertently tripped by Kim Johnsson's skate, his own defenseman, and couldn't get into position to stop Duchene's goal with 2:20 left.
Minnesota outshot the Avalanche 13-3 in the second and came close to tying it on several chances, but Anderson came up big each time. The Avalanche had to kill off three penalties in the frame, including consecutive penalties by Adam Foote, who drew a minor for delay of game 8 seconds after he left the box for interference.
Stastny had Colorado's best chance of the period when he had a short-handed breakaway, but Harding made a sprawling save to keep Minnesota within a goal.
The Wild thought they tied it with 14:06 left in regulation when the puck went off of Ebbett's body and into the net, but the goal was disallowed after a review.
Latendresse tied it later with his third goal of the season.
NOTES: The Avalanche activated Foote and Hendricks before the game. Colorado placed D Kyle Cumiskey (foot) on IR and put D Tom Preissing on waivers. ... Milan Hejduk (knee) was scratched from the lineup. Colorado said he is day-to-day. ... Minnesota is 11-1-2 in its last 13 games against Colorado.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
DENVER — Mikko Koivu and Andrew Ebbett scored in the shootout, and Josh Harding stopped both of Colorado's shooters to help the Minnesota Wild beat the Avalanche 3-2 on Saturday night for a home-and-home sweep.
Eric Belanger and Guillamume Latendresse scored in regulation, and Harding made 20 saves for Minnesota, which beat Colorado 5-3 on Friday night in St. Paul.
Craig Anderson made 34 saves, and Matt Duchene and Matt Hendricks scored for Colorado. The Avalanche have lost five of their last six games.
Trailing 2-0, the Wild chipped away at the Colorado lead. Belanger scored 57 seconds into the second period, and Latendresse scored with 8:46 left in regulation.
The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead when Hendricks, fresh off injured reserve, scored on a give-and-go with Chris Durno with 11:38 left in the first period.
Colorado nearly took a 2-0 lead 2:38 later, but Duchene's goal was waived off because he knocked in the puck with a high stick.
Duchene got his goal later in the period. Wojtek Wolski sent a pass across the Minnesota zone to Paul Stastny, who fed Duchene at the left circle. Josh Harding was inadvertently tripped by Kim Johnsson's skate, his own defenseman, and couldn't get into position to stop Duchene's goal with 2:20 left.
Minnesota outshot the Avalanche 13-3 in the second and came close to tying it on several chances, but Anderson came up big each time. The Avalanche had to kill off three penalties in the frame, including consecutive penalties by Adam Foote, who drew a minor for delay of game 8 seconds after he left the box for interference.
Stastny had Colorado's best chance of the period when he had a short-handed breakaway, but Harding made a sprawling save to keep Minnesota within a goal.
The Wild thought they tied it with 14:06 left in regulation when the puck went off of Ebbett's body and into the net, but the goal was disallowed after a review.
Latendresse tied it later with his third goal of the season.
NOTES: The Avalanche activated Foote and Hendricks before the game. Colorado placed D Kyle Cumiskey (foot) on IR and put D Tom Preissing on waivers. ... Milan Hejduk (knee) was scratched from the lineup. Colorado said he is day-to-day. ... Minnesota is 11-1-2 in its last 13 games against Colorado.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.