Avs Stare Canes in the Eye, Score 4 in the Third to Win

The Avs-Turned-Nordiques harpooned Hurricanes/Whalers in final frame.

“To insure the greatest efficiency in the dart, the harpooners of this world must start to their feet from out of idleness, and not from out of toil.”
― Herman Melville, “Moby-Dick”

The Avalanche carried a metaphorical harpoon onto the ice Saturday for the final period and that was all the difference.

For the second time in a week, the Colorado Avalanche trailed by a pair of goals heading into the third period… and for the second time, they came away with two points.

After needing a shootout to beat Vegas last week after falling behind by two goals twice, the Avs opted for regulation Saturday night in Carolina.

Down 3-1 after 40 minutes, the NHL’s best third-period team showed exactly why, erupting for four goals in the final frame to earn a hard-fought 5-3 victory while wearing the colors of the Quebec Nordiques.

The Hurricanes — donning the look of the Hartford Whalers — played an excellent first 40 minutes, capitalizing on their chances and making Colorado look pedestrian for the first time in quite a while. This felt like one of those nights where Carolina was going to bring the Avalanche back to Earth, grounding them and pulling them down from the stratosphere where they’ve lived all season.

But the Avalanche apparently prefer playing above their opposition.