GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NHL: MINNESOTA at COLORADO

By Dave Reed
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


DENVER (Ticker) -- Apparently, Paul Stastny has not heard ofthe sophomore slump.


Stastny continued his excellent campaign with two goals and anassist Sunday as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the MinnesotaWild, 4-2, in a battle of the two top teams in the NorthwestDivision.


Ryan Smyth also scored a goal and set up another for theAvalanche, who have won seven of their last nine contests andmoved to the top of the division standings.


After scoring 28 goals as a rookie in 2006-07, the 21-year-oldStastny is off to a quick start this season. He has nine goalsand a team-leading 22 points.


"I feel good out there," Stastny said. "Especially with theteam we have, sometimes if we take the night off, another linewill pick it up. That's the way we've been going all year."

Stastny's two goals Sunday marked his third multi-goalperformance of the season. He had two tallies against theCalgary Flames on Monday and notched a hat trick in the seasonopener against the Dallas Stars.


Stastny registered his first goal Sunday when he banged home therebound of his own shot at 5:59 of the second period.

Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom made a save on Joe Sakic'sslapshot from the left point, but the rebound went to Stastnybelow the left circle. Backstrom stopped Stastny's first shot,but he got his own rebound and slid it under Backstrom's leftpad.


Stastny, who has collected 19 points at home this season, gavethe Avalanche a 3-1 advantage with 5:03 left in the middlesession on a rush with Wojtek Wolski.


Stastny took a pass from Wolski at center ice and carried intothe offensive zone. After letting his linemate drive toward theright post, Stastny cut back behind defenseman Martin Skoula andbeat Backstrom with a wrist shot from between the circles.

"I might have played it a little differently," Skoula said. "Iwould like to maybe take it back, but it's done."


Minnesota answered with a power-play goal with just six secondsleft in the second period. Pierre-Marc Bouchard took across-ice pass from Petteri Nummelin and blasted a one-timer,while falling down, that beat Colorado netminder Peter Budaj onthe glove side.


Budaj made seven of his 25 saves in the final period to preservethe one-goal lead and Wolski scored an empty net goal - hisseventh of the season - with one second remaining to put thegame away.


"We came out strong and played really good defensively, eventhough they scored two goal on the power play," Budaj said. "Itwas a big win because Minnesota is right behind us (in thestandings) and it's a four-point hockey game. It's a huge winfor us."


"It seems like the fans are in it. We're excited," Wolski said."Some teams struggle with the altitude if they come in the daybefore and are not used to it. We're happy that it's workingout the way it is."


The Avalanche took an early 1-0 lead with 4:12 remaining in thefirst period when Smyth beat Backstrom on his stick side. Just18 seconds after coming out of the penalty box, Smythintercepted defenseman Scott Hannan's shot from the right circleand flipped the puck over a sprawling Backstrom.


Minnesota cut the deficit to 2-1 on an unusual goal midwaythrough the second period. Brian Rolston's slap shot from thehigh slot went off the glass and the puck dropped in behindBudaj. Eric Belanger jammed it between Budaj's pads for thegoal.


"The shot hit the boards and went straight up," Budaj said. "Idon't know why goalies never look up when the puck is in theair. They always try to find it on the ground. The puck landedon my shoulder and as I went down, it rolled into the net."

"We have to play than we did tonight if we want to win," Wildcoach Jacques Lemaire said. "If (Pavel Demitra) would have beenthere and (Marion Gaborik) was with us and we played like this,we would not win."


Sakic, who collected an assist on Stastny's first goal, has atleast one point in 10 of his last 11 games and needs just eightmore assists to become the 11th player in NHL history with 1,000career assists.

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at COLORADO

<div class="pre">------------------------------------
Minnesota 0 2 0 --2
Colorado 1 2 1 --4
------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Colorado, Ryan Smyth 6 (Scott Hannan),
15:48. Penalties: A Brunette, Col (hooking), 10:27; R Smyth, Col
(slashing), 13:30.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Colorado, Paul Stastny 8 (power play) (Joe
Sakic, Ryan Smyth), 5:59. 3, Minnesota, Eric Belanger 5 (power play)
(Mark Parrish, Brian Rolston), 10:08. 4, Colorado, Paul Stastny 9
(Wojtek Wolski, Kurt Sauer), 14:57. 5, Minnesota, Pierre-Marc Bouchard
5 (power play) (Petteri Nummelin, Brent Burns), 19:54. Penalties: M
Foy, Min (interference), 3:00; J Sheppard, Min (holding), 5:45; J
Finger, Col (major fighting), 7:29; A Voros, Min (major fighting),
7:29; S Hannan, Col (tripping), 9:48; E Belanger, Min (roughing),
16:47; J Hlinka, Col (tripping), 19:43.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 6, Colorado, Wojtek Wolski 7 (power play) (Ben
Guite, Paul Stastny), 19:59. Penalties: N Schultz, Min
(interference), 2:57; M Koivu, Min (hooking), 8:50; B Radivojevic, Min
(hooking), 18:06.

Shots on goal:
---------------------------------------
Minnesota 8 12 7 --27
Colorado 7 15 4 --26
---------------------------------------

Power-play Conversions: Minnesota - 2 of 4, Colorado - 2 of 6. Goalies
: Minnesota, Niklas Backstrom (25 shots, 22 saves; record: 7-2-1).
Colorado, Peter Budaj (27 shots, 25 saves; record: 7-3-0). A: 15,434.
Referees: Brian Pochmara, Rob Shick. Linesmen: Steve Barton, Tim
Nowak.</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at COLORADO

<div class="pre">-----------------------------------------
MINNESOTA 0 2 0 --2
COLORADO 1 2 1 --4
-----------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Colorado, Ryan Smyth 6 (Scott Hannan),
15:48. Penalties: A Brunette, Col (hooking), 10:27; R Smyth, Col
(slashing), 13:30.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Colorado, Paul Stastny 8 (power play) (Joe
Sakic, Ryan Smyth), 5:59. 3, Minnesota, Eric Belanger 5 (power play)
(Mark Parrish, Brian Rolston), 10:08. 4, Colorado, Paul Stastny 9
(Wojtek Wolski, Kurt Sauer), 14:57. 5, Minnesota, Pierre-Marc Bouchard
5 (power play) (Petteri Nummelin, Brent Burns), 19:54. Penalties: M
Foy, Min (interference), 3:00; J Sheppard, Min (holding), 5:45; J
Finger, Col (major fighting), 7:29; A Voros, Min (major fighting),
7:29; S Hannan, Col (tripping), 9:48; E Belanger, Min (roughing),
16:47; J Hlinka, Col (tripping), 19:43.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 6, Colorado, Wojtek Wolski 7 (power play) (Ben
Guite, Paul Stastny), 19:59. Penalties: N Schultz, Min
(interference), 2:57; M Koivu, Min (hooking), 8:50; B Radivojevic, Min
(hooking), 18:06.

Shots on goal:
----------------------------------------
MINNESOTA 8 12 7 --27
COLORADO 7 15 4 --26
----------------------------------------

Power-play Conversions: MIN - 2 of 4, COL - 2 of 6. Goalies :
Minnesota, Niklas Backstrom (25 shots, 22 saves; record: 7-2-1).
Colorado, Peter Budaj (27 shots, 25 saves; record: 7-3-0). A: 15,434.
Referees: Brian Pochmara, Rob Shick. Linesmen: Steve Barton, Tim
Nowak.

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS

MINNESOTA COLORADO
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
B Rolston 0 1 -2 0 W Smith 0 0 even 0
D Moore 0 0 even 0 I Laperriere 0 0 even 0
M Parrish 0 1 even 0 A Brunette 0 0 even 1
D Boogaard 0 0 even 0 J Hlinka 0 0 even 1
E Belanger 1 0 -2 2 J Sakic 0 1 +1 2
K Foster 0 0 even 3 S Hannan 0 1 +1 2
K Carney 0 0 even 1 M Hejduk 0 0 even 4
P Nummelin 0 1 even 2 P Stastny 2 1 +1 4
M Skoula 0 0 -2 0 B Guite 0 1 +1 0
A Voros 0 0 even 0 K Sauer 0 1 +1 0
K Johnsson 0 0 -1 0 T Arnason 0 0 even 0
N Schultz 0 0 -1 0 J Liles 0 0 even 1
J Sheppard 0 0 even 1 M Svatos 0 0 +1 1
B Burns 0 1 even 1 K Cumiskey 0 0 even 1
M Foy 0 0 even 6 B Clark 0 0 +2 1
M Koivu 0 0 even 4 J Finger 0 0 even 2
B Radivojevic 0 0 even 2 W Wolski 1 1 +1 4
P Bouchard 1 0 -2 5 R Smyth 1 1 +1 2
P Demitra HEALTHY S Parker HEALTHY
M Gaborik GROIN J Jillson HEALTHY
S Veilleux HEAD INJURY J Leopold HEALTHY
N Schaefer HEALTHY</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at COLORADO

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA AT COLORADO
NOTE: RESENDING BOX TO CORRECT ASSISTS OF HEJDUK AND
GUITE</div>