There was one phrase to describe Valeri Nichushkin’s performance Thursday night: C’est magnifique.
Debuting the Quebec Nordiques throwbacks for the first time, the Avalanche had turnover troubles early and power-play struggles throughout until Nichushkin came through late to steal a point in a 5-4 shootout loss against the Carolina Hurricanes at Ball Arena.
Nichushkin’s second goal of the night, which came on the club’s seventh power-play opportunity of the night, helped Colorado claw all the way back from a 4-1 deficit at 14:09 of the third period.
Both teams had power plays in the overtime but could not convert. Colorado went 1 for 8 with the extra man in this contest, while Carolina was 0 for 5.
Eric Robinson beat Scott Wedgwood to the short side on a rush with a shot from the left wing at 3:07 of the opening period for the Hurricanes, who were wearing Hartford Whalers throwbacks as part of a heritage night to celebrate Colorado’s 30th anniversary in Denver. It was just the start of a tough night for Wedgewood, who was pulled less than 14 minutes in.
Nichushkin responded for the Avs to even the score 57 seconds later. He picked off a Carolina pass in the left circle, went to the net and roofed a backhanded shot for his third goal of the season.
Colorado’s power play has been off to to slow start, but it found a new low in this contest before Nichushkin’s late tally. Not only did the Avalanche not score on first six opportunities, Seth Jarvis gave Carolina the lead at 7:17 of the first with a shorthanded tally.
It was a gift from the Avs. Captain Gabe Landeskog tried to backhand a pass from the left flank back to the top of the zone, but the only player there was Jarvis. He went the other way for a breakaway for the first shorthanded goal against of the season for the Avalanche.
Sebastian Aho made it 3-1 with a fluky bounce. Nikolai Ehlers took a shot from the right side that went off Wedgewood, off Aho’s leg in front and dribbled back across the goal line at 12:41.
Logan Stankoven, the player Carolina acquired from Dallas as part of a package for Mikko Ratanen, made it four goals on 11 shots and the end of Wedgewood’s night 59 seconds later. Avs defenseman Cale Makar flubbed a clearing attempt from near his own goal line, and it left the Hurricanes with a jailbreak rush.
Jackson Blake got the puck to Stankoven, who didn’t score on his first try but Wedgewood was unable to corral it. Stankoven had plenty of time fish for a rebound and eventually stuff it into the net because other Avs players had gone in the other direction away from their net.
Trent Miner replaced Wedgewood, making his first appearance of the season and third of his NHL career. Wedgewood entered this game with a 5-0-2 record and a .927 save percentage, having played every minute of the first seven games while Mackenzie Blackwood recovers from an undisclosed offseason injury.
Miner didn’t have a lot of work at first, but ended up making 16 saves in relief while the Avs mounted a comeback to get to overtime, and then four more in the extra session.
Parker Kelly got one back for the Avs with the lone goal of the second period. Sam Malinski sent one to the net from the right point, but Kelly stuck his glove out and deflected it past Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen at 4:46 of the second. Carolina called a timeout, then challenged the play but unlike two nights ago in Salt Lake City, this odd review situation went Colorado’s way.
Martin Necas pulled the Avs within one on a goal against his former club. Artturi Lehkonen’s shot from the slot went wide right, but Necas snapped the carom off the end boards past Andersen. It was Necas’ sixth goal of the season, which ties linemate Nathan MacKinnon for the team lead.
This was certainly the worst night of the season for the Avalanche power play. Colorado entered the night at 3 for 26 on the season with the man advantage. The Avs’ power play hasn’t scored in five games, going 0 for 16 since tallying once in each of the first three contests.
Colorado made one change to the top unit recently, moving Victory Olofsson to the top unit in place of Lehkonen. The Avs made another during this game, replacing Brock Nelson with Nichushkin.
That change certainly paid off.
FOOTNOTE: Both teams honored Brent Burns for his recently-played 1,500th NHL game with a pre-puck drop ceremony. Burns spent the past three seasons with Carolina before joining Colorado in July as a free agent.
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