Top Line and 2nd-Period Outburst Help Avs Extinguish Flames in Calgary

The Moose, The Dogg and Big Val dominate in four-goal road win.

A day after Ray Bourque was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Colorado Avalanche, the legendary NHL defenseman made his debut with his new team in Calgary.

In that March 7, 2000 game, the Flames jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal from Valeri Bure just 4:15 into the game. The Avs would respond with three-straight tallies in a 60-second span soon thereafter. And though Calgary would tie it at 3-3 early in the second, Colorado would rip off another three in just over five minutes and five straight into the third period for the 8-3 win.

Joe Sakic had a hat trick, while Chris Drury (0-4-4), Alex Tanguay (0-3-3) and Stephane Yelle (2-0-2) all led the offensive attack in a statement win. Bourque and fellow trade-mate from Boston Dave Andreychuk each had helpers in their first games wearing the burgundy and blue as Colorado picked up its 31st win of the season.

Fast forward 24 years and the Avs were once again back in Alberta in the wake of another productive trade deadline. This time it was Mikko Rantanen (2-2-4), Valeri Nichushkin (1-2-3) and Nathan MacKinnon (1-1-2) who led the way in a come-from-behind win as the Avs extinguished the Flames, 6-2, en route to their 41st win of this season. In the process, newly acquired Casey Mittelstadt scored his first goal, while Brandon Duhaime got on the scoresheet with his first assist in an Avs’ sweater.