Colorado missed out on another opportunity to get back to 500 for the first the first time this season. After tying the game early in the third period, Colorado surrendered the game-winning goal with 5:17 remaining for the loss in front of a sold out Pepsi Center crowd.
Calvin Pickard started in net for the second time this season and Ryan O’Reilly scored for the first time in 11 games. Colorado also scored the first goal of the game coming from fourth line forward Max Talbot. The entertaining affair ended with 74 total shots on goal—45 coming from the Blackhawks.
Colorado took six minor penalties in the losing effort and was on the man-advantage just twice. The disparity in penalties was not taken well by Patrick Roy.
“I thought 5 on 5 we were the better team,” he said. “I just thought that they got away with things we could not get away with tonight.”
While the refs may have missed a few calls late in the game, there were three penalties called in the second period, all coming against the Avs. Chicago scored twice on the power play which ultimately ended up being the difference in tonight’s contest.
Colorado had to do without Erik Johnson tonight after he was knocked out of the game last night midway through the overtime period. It is believed however that he shouldn’t be out long. According to Coach Roy, it’s a day-to-day situation with the big-minute defenseman.
“He’s doing good. I hope that he’ll ready for Saturday vs Dallas.”
Karl Stollery was called up and inserted into the lineup in his place while Alex Tanguay returned and replaced forward Ben Street.
The first goal of the game came from a hard-working shift from the fourth line. Talbot was crushed along the half boards and fought out of it to get to the front of the net. Meanwhile from behind the net Marc-Andre Cliche, not really known for his play-making abilities, made a beautiful pass between the legs to set up the veteran for his second goal of the season. The lead lasted just four minutes until Chicago capitalized on the power play.
That goal from Jonathan Toews was followed up with another Avs minor penalty and another power play goal. This time it came from Andrew Shaw—who wasn’t making any friends on the ice tonight. Shaw and Gabriel Landeskog were battling all night before and after the whistle. Shaw also exchanged words with Jarome Iginla during the last minute of the game after he crosschecked the former Flames captain in front of his goalie.
The Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead into the third period and Colorado seemingly had them right where they wanted them. In an attempt to make another comeback, Colorado reunited the trio of Alex Tanguay, Matt Duchene, and O’Reilly. The line ended up producing.
O’Reilly’s goal was just his third of the season.
“I should have a lot more,” he said after the game—admitting that he isn’t happy with his lack of production this season. “I still gotta keep working harder and doing a lot of things better.”
He played one of his better games of the season and it showed when Coach Roy put him on the ice as the sixth forward after pulling Pickard with over 2 minutes remaining in regulation.
The game-winning goal was a quick play for the Blackhawks. O’Reilly had the puck in the Chicago zone and was hauled down by the defender. There was no penalty called on the play and the puck was sent the other way where Bryan Bickell scored the goal after beating out Nick Holden for positioning in front of the young goaltender.
Calvin Pickard made 42 points in the losing effort but still received much praise from his head coach, just as he did in his two wins this past week.
“On the PK he was our best player,” Roy said about the young goaltender. “They had to work hard for those goals that’s all you ask for from your goalie. We’ll know more on Friday if [Varly] is gonna be able to play soon. But right now we’re happy with Pickard.”
With that loss, Colorado remained win-less in divisional play. They fell to 8-10-5 on the season but have now gone 4-2-0 in their last six games since the poor showing on Long Island. The team will get a couple of days off for the Thanksgiving holiday but will be back in action Saturday night. They will host the Dallas Stars in their first meeting of the season. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.
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