Avs Almost Back To The Top In Central

Val pulls out a SO win at the Mullett

What was that move by Valeri Nichushkin to win it in the shootout? Can we call it the “kinda sorta Forsberg?” His move that finally won a seven-round shootout had a smidge of the Forsberg move from the 1992 Olympics that won gold for Sweden in a shootout against Canada.

Foppa’s move was a tad more difficult and he used only hand (his right hand, while Val’s was the left), but Val’s move will suffice.

The Avalanche get the win 4-3 in the shootout and thus move to within one point of the Minnesota Wild for the top spot in the Central, and the Avs still have a game in hand.

Mikko Rantanen got his 48th goal on the season. Two more and he’ll become the first Av to get 50 since Milan Hejduk in 2003. I though the Avs didn’t really get their legs under them until the second period and had things looking well in hand until an Arizona rally tied it up midway through the third.

This game, to me, was won by Alexandar Georgiev. Not just because of seven straight saves in the shootout. He had to make some tough ones in the final minutes of regulation and overtime.

Jonas Johansson will start tomorrow’s game in Anaheim.

Listen, we’re in the dog days of the season. A lot of guys are mentally tired from playing every other night. But the Avs are doing what they need to do and that’s all that matters.

THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS FROM THE GAME