Colorado Avalanche

One night of The Condor
April 5, 2017, 2:39 PM ET [15 Comments]
Rick Sadowski
Colorado Avalanche Blogger • Avalanche Insider • RSS • Archive • CONTACT
The Avalanche didn't practice Wednesday following their 4-3 overtime win Tuesday against Chicago, which means they'll have a relatively rare morning skate Thursday before the home finale against Minnesota.

That's two home wins in a row for the Avalanche, now 13-25-2 at the Pepsi Center.

The Blackhawks, who have clinched the top seed in the Western Conference, have more road wins (24) than the Avalanche have total wins (22); Colorado closes out the season Saturday and Sunday at Dallas and St. Louis, respectively.

"They're the best team in the West, a great team, and it's fun to get a win," said Erik Johnson, who scored at 1:57 of the extra period to complete a terrific end-to-end rush. It was his second goal of the season and first in 25 games.

"It's hard to say we're coming around with the year we're having," said Johnson, who earlier missed 36 games with a broken fibula. "No matter what, you got to keep pushing. There's guys in here who are fighting for jobs next year and kids who are trying to get better. For us as leaders, we have to set the example and work hard and prove ourselves every night. Someone's watching from somewhere around the league. It feels good to get a win any time this year based on how rough it's been."

Johnson played 25:38 and had four shots on goal.

The Avalanche, who had a season-high 51 shots, rallied from a 3-0 deficit.

Matt Duchene, who had gone nine games without a point, and Gabriel Landeskog scored shorthanded goals 4:15 apart in the second period, and Mikhail Grigorenko tied the game at 5:46 of the third off a sweet pass from Duchene after Mark Barberio made a strong play to keep the puck in the Chicago zone.

"We dug ourselves a hole and were able to climb out and be resilient," Johnson said. "It's fun to get a win at home. It's been hard to get them."

*****

Duchene also assisted on Johnson's goal and matched his season high for points in a game with three. The goal was his 18th, tying rookie Mikko Rantanen for the team lead; Rantanen was a late scratch because of a lower-body injury and is day to day.

“I haven’t changed a thing," said Duchene, whose goal was his second in 22 games and third in 36. "I’ve been playing kind of the same way for probably 15 games. I had a few games there early on in the drought -- I would say three of them were where I wasn’t happy where I was at, the confidence was low, but I didn’t change anything.

"It’s funny, when the puck decides it’s going to go in, it goes in. When it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m going to be stronger for that streak. It’s a bit of adversity and a good learning experience to go through.”

Duchene spun around Chicago's Andrew Desjardins and made a pass all in one motion to Grigorenko for the tying goal. He gave all the credit to Barberio and Grigorenko, who has a career-high 10 goals.

"Barbs made an unbelievable play to keep that puck in and Grigo, I don't even know how he got that in the net," Duchene said. "That was unbelievable, he kind of just stabbed at it on his backhand. He's got a knack for that.

"I saw him come into the zone, he did a good job going to the net and being in the right spot. Those plays, there's some instinct involved, but at the same time it's a bit of luck too. I still don't know how he scored that and Barbs started the whole play by keeping that puck in. He went through the wall trying to get it to stay in."

*****

Defenseman Duncan Siemens and forward Rocco Grimaldi played following their callups Monday from San Antonio.

Siemens was paired with Cody Goloubef and played 10:28, including 2:21 shorthanded. He had one shot on goal, two hits and was minus-1.

"I thought Duncan did a nice job. I really noticed him more in the first period," coach Jared Bednar said. "I thought he was moving the puck, hitting his first option a lot, just making the right plays, the simple play, and I didn't see him make any big mistakes."

Grimaldi skated at right wing with Landeskog and Tyson Jost. He played 10:29, had three shots, one takeaway and was minus-2. Hawks goalie Scott Darling robbed him on a breakaway in the second period.

"I really liked Grimaldi, he can skate," Bednar said. "I thought he was all over the puck early, had a bunch of great scoring chances, taking pucks to the net. Really good speed and tenacity to his game. He's real quick and agile and mobile and tracking their guys down when they have the puck. He always seems like he's on top of you and smothering you, and he creates some chances off that.

"Whenever you play well, you got to pull the positives out of it. The youth, the speed, the tenacity that those kids are bringing us, competitiveness, they're making plays at a high pace. That adds a lot to our group. There's more depth there. It's fun to be on the bench with them. They're working hard."