Blackhawks prevail in shootout

Theodore quick to praise Avs' 'D' for holding its own

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 19, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

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Photo by David Zalubowski / Associated Press

Colorado's Ian Laperriere tries to clear the puck from behind the Avalanche goal as Chicago's Jacob Dowell reaches in.

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Goaltending and defense, always essential ingredients when it comes to winning hockey games, have become more important than ever for the Avalanche.

The offense has taken some significant hits during the past several weeks, with center Paul Stastny joining captain Joe Sakic and gritty left wing Ryan Smyth on the sideline to recover from an emergency appendectomy.

The Avalanche could have used any of the three Friday night at the Pepsi Center, where it lost a 2-1 shootout decision to the Chicago Blackhawks.

"We had some opportunities, and that's the way it goes sometimes," defenseman Scott Hannan said. "We had a lot of good chances. We controlled the play in overtime, and when you go to a shootout, it's a little different.

"I thought we played well. If we keep playing like that every night, we're going to win some games."

Jose Theodore, making his seventh consecutive start in goal, stopped 22-of-23 shots through regulation and the five- minute overtime before giving up goals to rookie Patrick Kane and Robert Lang, the fourth and final shooter in the shootout.

Milan Hejduk was the only Avalanche shooter to best Blackhawks goalie Patrick Lalime, who also made 22 saves in the game.

"I thought we played real well, played solid defense," said Theodore, who has gone 4-2-1 since Jan. 5 with a 1.68 goals-against average and .938 saves percentage.

"In overtime and shootouts, you never know what's going to happen."

Theodore said that Lang "caught me off-guard a little bit" on the decisive shot. "I didn't expect him to go low blocker," he said. "(But) we're playing well as a team. We're still getting our chances. There's nothing wrong with winning games 2-1. That's our mentality right now - defense first - and the offense is going to come.

"We got a point. It's frustrating, because we would have liked to get two, but down the road, it's a big point."

The Avalanche, which was coming off a 3-2 trip, remains in fourth place in the Northwest Division but only trails first- place Calgary by two points.

"We worked hard, did a good job throughout the game, limited their zone time and the quality of their chances and did a real good job on the 'PK,' (penalty kill)" coach Joel Quenneville said. "We're not disappointed with the effort or with how we played.

"How we play without the puck is very important. Our team defense, overall, has to be strong in all areas of the ice - just an awareness defensively and everybody moving together and working together as five- man units. Down low, our defense has been strong."

Kane, the top-scoring rookie in the NHL, gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead 2:31 into the first period on a breakaway, connecting for his 12th goal and 44th point on Chicago's first shot.

The Avalanche drew even at 8:03 on a goal by Andrew Brunette, who took a shot from the slot area, continued to the net and popped the rebound over a prone Lalime.

The goal was Brunette's ninth this season and extended his point-scoring streak to four games, with three goals and as many assists.

Brunette skated on what is now the Avalanche's top line, with Jaroslav Hlinka and Hej- duk. The unit combined for nine shots.

But the second line of Wojtek Wolski, Tyler Arnason and Marek Svatos had only two shots and will need to start contributing more.

Svatos had been hot until the past couple of games, but Wol- ski has gone eight games without a goal and Arnason five since returning from a broken wrist.

"This is a real good test for us," Brunette said. "We can't be feeling sorry for ourselves. This is a good chance for a lot of guys, a lot of our young guys, to get a good opportunity to play and to show they can prove themselves in this league and really help the team stay in the hunt. I think this is going to be valuable for them down the stretch.

"Jose's been outstanding, and we need him. We're going to rely on him, and everybody here has to step up another notch. We all have to be pulling the same way."

Blackhawks 2, Avalanche 1, SO

Chicago1 0 0 0 - 2

Colorado1 0 0 0 - 1

Chicago wins shootout 2-1

First period - 1, Chi, Kane 12 (Havlat), 2:31. 2, Col, Brunette 9 (Hlinka, Hejduk), 8:03. Penalties - Laperriere, Col, major (fighting), 3:32; Burish, Chi, major (fighting), 3:32; Sharp, Chi (holding stick), 9:31; Finger, Col, (roughing), 16:51; Arnason, Col, (hooking), 19:13.

Second period - None. Penalty - Wolski, Col, (tripping), 8:32.

Third period - None. Penalties - Clark, Col, (hooking), :38; Kane, Chi (holding), 6:23; Hejduk, Col, (tripping), 11:39.

Overtime - None. Penalties - None.

Shootout - Chi 2 (Kane G, Havlat NG, Sharp NG, Lang G); Col 1 (Svatos NG, Wolski NG, Hejduk G, Hensick NG).

Shots - Chi 6-8-7-2 - 23. Col 13-7-2-1 - 23. Power plays - Chi 0 of 5; Col 0 of 2. Goalies - Chi, Lalime 7-5-1 (23 shots-22 saves). Col, Theodore 11-10- 2 (23-22). A - 18,007 (18,007). T - 2:27. Referees - Don Koharski, Justin St. Pierre. Linesmen - Lonnie Cameron, Thor Nelson.

sadowskir@RockyMountainNews.com

NUMBERS GAME

18blocked shots for the Avalanche, five by Scott Hannan and four by Karlis Skrastins.

NOT MUCH OF A STREAK

Defenseman Jordan Leopold wasn't able to play because of illness, ending his streak of consecutive games played at nine, his second-longest stretch in his two seasons with the Avalanche. He played in 10 consecutive games last season after recovering from a groin injury before breaking his wrist Feb. 15 against Calgary and missing the remainder of the season.

Leopold has been one of the Avalanche's most effective defenseman, registering three goals, three assists and a plus-3 rating in 19 games.

Johnny Boychuk returned to the lineup after being scratched for the previous four games.

FIGHTING MAD

The Avalanche has been in a nastier mood than usual recently, getting involved in eight fights in the past five games.

Ian Laperriere, who fought with Chicago's Adam Burish in the first period, has been involved in a bout in three consecutive games. Brett Clark, Jeff Finger, Cody McCormick, Cody McLeod, right, and Scott Parker were engaged in the other scraps.

The Avalanche began the night averaging 11.3 penalty minutes per game, the second fewest in the NHL.

HE SAID IT

"We got more penalties than we usually do and the guys did a real good job. That's the reason we got a point."

Jose Theodore, Avalanche goalie, on killing all five of the Blackhawks' power plays.

Rick Sadowski

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