Two third-period rallies led to a two points that were crucial for the Avalanche on Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center.
In keeping up with the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild and overtaking the Arizona Coyotes for a Western Conference wild-card playoff berth, Colorado star center Nathan MacKinnon scored 2:29 into overtime for a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
“Got a bit mad there. We stuck with it. We found a way to get the work done although it wasn ’ t pretty,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said.
The Avs, who never led before the end, won their second straight game beyond regulation to improve to 3-12 on the season, keeping them three points behind Dallas, which defeated the New York Rangers Tuesday and gaining a point on Minnesota, which lost in a shootout at Nashville. Arizona dropped against visiting Anaheim.
“It’s death or life , last 15 games,” MacKinnon said. “We just need to win our games. We perform the teams we will need to beat and we’ll go to the playoffs. ”
Detroit extended its losing streak to eight games (0-6-2).
The Avs appeared defeated late in the third period when they allowed a power-play goal with 2:17 remaining in regulation after taking a bench minor for too many men on the ice with 3:42 to go. Filip Zadina got the goal with a.
But Colorado pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov for an additional attacker and re-tied it with 1:35 to go on Tyson Barrie‘s big slap shot from the stage for the fourth objective of the period.
Avs right winger Mikko Rantanen — who assisted on MacKinnon’s winner and had a game-high three points — tied it 2-2 at 8:30 of the next period. On the power play, Rantanen scooped up a rally on his forehand, skated to the right place and went back-hand past goalie Jonathan Bernier, the former Av, for his 29th goal of the season.
Nathan MacKinnon and Gabe Landeskog after comeback OT victory over Detroit #Avs pic.twitter.com/RumNwPY3pX
— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) March 6, 2019
Rantanen, who has a team-high 85 points, was escorted into the X-ray room but Bednar did not understand the extent of his injury.
Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser scored to break the 1-1 tie. DeKeyser jumped into the offensive zone following Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov got hung up on the blue line. Avs center Tyson Jost was left to defend the rush with Ian Cole, and Jost couldn’t stop a slide pass from Jacob De La Rose.
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The Avs tied it 1-1 at 1:44 of the second period that was dominant but failed to gain the lead. Colorado produced 11 of the period’s 12 shots before the Red Wings came on late in the frame. Compher tied it with a wrist shot from between the circles, following the puck inadvertently caromed off the skate of teammate Carl Soderberg.
The Red Wings took a 1-0 lead at 16:47 of the first period. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall crushed a slap shot from the stage and the puck found its way through Varlamov’s legs. It wasn’t a goal, but it came only two seconds after the Avs’ Derick Brassard was discharged from the penalty box.
The Avalanche will practice Wednesday morning at Family Sports Center before departing for Dallas, where it plays the Stars on Thursday in a key Central Division match between two teams vying for the same playoff spots.
Jared Bednar after 4-3 OT victory over Detroit. #Avs //t.co/ug41xTjf7N
— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) March 6, 2019
Footnotes. Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson, the No. 1 pick of the 2006 NHL draft, appeared in his 702nd career NHL game. He became the first defenseman out of his draft class to reach 700 final week, and the 47th U.S.-born defenseman. Johnson took a puck in the face early in the third period but didn’t miss a shift. … Tom Chmielewski of Colorado Springs — the active full-time NHL referee born in Colorado — worked the match. … There was a moment of silence to honor former Red Wings great Ted Lindsay, who died Monday at age 93. Detroit players wore a “7” patch in their chests in memory of Lindsay.
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