DENVER (AP) Gabriel Landeskog beat Marc Andre-Fleury with a nifty move in the shootout and the Colorado Avalanche kept expansion Vegas from clinching a playoff spot by beating the Golden Knights 2-1 on Saturday.
Semyon Varlamov stopped all three shots in the shootout. He finished with 39 saves, including seven in overtime.
Carl Soderberg was back on the ice after missing two games with an illness and contributed with a first-period goal. Colorado remains in the thick of the playoff picture as the team picked up its 26th home win, which is tied for the third-most in Avalanche history.
The Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights are on the doorstep of earning their playoff spot and a win over the Avalanche would’ve wrapped up things. They were kept in this game thanks to the play of Fleury, who was back in the net after sustaining an undisclosed injury Tuesday. Fleury made 29 saves.
Jonathan Marchessault tied the game early in the third, moments after Fleury made an incredible save with his right leg. It would be a familiar trend.
The play of the game may have been this: Blake Comeau had a breakaway in the third as he tried to corral the puck near center ice. Fleury came all the way out to disrupt Comeau, who side-stepped Fleury’s stick only to tumble to the ice and not be able to knock it into the wide-open net.
In overtime, Fleury also stopped Erik Johnson on a breakaway.
This game had a playoff-like atmosphere, with the crowd cheering every hit and shot.
The two teams turn around and play in Vegas on Monday.
Varlamov was at his best two days after allowing five goals and being pulled. He was in net for a 20th straight game as backup Jonathan Bernier was sidelined by an upper-body injury. Bernier’s also missed time this season with a concussion.
Tyson Jost and Tyson Barrie both hit the post in the third period.
Soderberg gave Colorado an early lead by lifting a shot over the shoulder of Fleury for a power-play goal midway through the opening period. The goal was set up by Alexander Kerfoot’s nifty spin move and pass to J.T. Compher.
Fleury recently had some fun with reporters who asked about what happened Tuesday when he left the game for an undisclosed reason (he also didn’t play Thursday). Fleury joked it was a chance to catch up on his favorite soap opera.
”I was in net, and I just realized that `Days of our Lives’ was coming on, and, `Oh, I didn’t DVR it,”’ Fleury said in an interview posted on the Golden Knights’ website. ”Rushed home. My DVR wasn’t working. I spent a couple of days at home to make sure I wasn’t missing any of it. I got caught up now.”
NOTES: The action was end-to-end in the second period, with Colorado and Vegas at one point going more than six minutes between faceoffs. … Team USA goaltender Nicole Hensley was honored before the game and given an Avalanche sweater. She helped the U.S. bring home the gold medal at the Pyeongchang Games. … D Mark Alt made his Avalanche debut after being claimed off waivers from Philadelphia on Feb. 26.
UP NEXT
Golden Knights: Begin a four-game homestand Monday against Colorado.
Avalanche: Travel to Vegas on Monday before hosting two straight games at home.
—
More AP hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey
25% Bonus via Western Union
