Canucks just shy in Colorado
Soderberg scores winner in shootout, Avs beat Canucks
DENVER — Carl Soderberg scored in the sixth round of the shootout, Semyon Varlamov came up with big saves all night long and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Wednesday.
Soderberg knocked in the winner off the glove of Jacob Markstrom as the Avalanche improved to 212 in games beyond regulation.
Varlamov made 30 saves through overtime and five more in the shootout.
Mikko Rantanen had a goal and Nathan MacKinnon added his 33rd goal of the season to tie captain Gabriel Landeskog for the team lead. The Avalanche have gone 5-0-1 over their last six games to climb back into the playoff chase.
Josh Leivo tied the game at 2 with 3:02 remaining in regulation on a wrist shot. Antoine Roussel also scored for the Canucks. Tanner Pearson made his debut with the team after being acquired Monday from Pittsburgh. He nearly had the winner in OT on a tip-in, but the officials ruled Varlamov made the save and was pushed by Pearson into the net. The play was upheld on review.
Markstrom kept Vancouver close by turning back 43 shots, including a huge glove save early in overtime.
After breaking them up for a few games, the Avalanche reassembled their top line of Rantanen, MacKinnon and Landeskog, who had an assist on Rantanen’s goal. The Avalanche improved to 23-55 when each of them has a point.
Vancouver turned up the pressure in the second period and had several quality scoring chances, including Nikolay Goldobin sending a shot off the crossbar. The Canucks nearly tied it at 2 in the closing seconds of the second, but Varlamov made a glove save on Brock Boeser’s attempt.
The opening period didn’t start well for Rantanen with the right winger taking a high-stick penalty 11 seconds into the game.
But it certainly ended well as he scored with 1:34 remaining in the first to give the Avalanche a 2-1 lead.
Rantanen’s 27th goal of the season was set up on a play by Landeskog, who stole the puck from Markus Granlund, moved into the zone and dished it over to Rantanen.
MacKinnon staked Colorado a 1-0 lead that lasted all of 54 seconds.
Roussel quickly countered by tipping in a shot in the middle of traffic.
NOTES: Vancouver finished 2-0-1 against Colorado this season. ... Boeser recorded his 22nd assist. ... The Canucks play the second game of a back-to-back Thursday in Arizona as part of a three-game trip. The Avs begin a two-game trip Saturday in San Jose.
LIGHTNING 4, RANGERS 3
NEW YORK — Victor Hedman scored at 3:25 of overtime and the Tampa Bay Lightning extended their winning streak to a franchise-record 10 games with a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.
Tyler Johnson, J.T. Miller and Dan Girardi also scored for Tampa Bay, which has an NHL-leading 102 points. Nikita Kucherov added three assists to give him a league-leading 74. Andrei Vasilevskiy had 33 saves.
Jimmy Vesey had a goal and assist for the Rangers. Mika Zibanejad and Boo Nieves also scored. Alexandar Georgiev had 26 saves, including stopping Hedman on a breakaway earlier in overtime.
FLAMES 2, DEVILS 1
NEWARK, N.J. — Johnny Gaudreau set up two second-period goals and Western Conference-leading Calgary extended its season-high winning streak to seven games with a victory over New Jersey.
Elias Lindholm and Mark Giordano scored for the Flames, who have points in eight straight games. David Rittich made 19 saves in improving to 22-5-5.
Kevin Rooney scored a short-handed goal for the Devils. Mackenzie Blackwood, who spent the last three weeks in the minor leagues, was outstanding in making 33 saves in his return to the NHL.
The game was delayed about 10 minutes early in the third period after Devils defenceman Mirco Mueller crashed into the end boards on a rush and had to be taken on the ice on a stretcher. He moved his legs and gave a thumbs-up to fans.
MAPLE LEAFS 6, OILERS 2
TORONTO — Andreas Johnsson scored twice during Toronto’s four-goal outburst in a seven-minute stretch to open the second period and the Maple Leafs cruised past Edmonton.
Mitch Marner added a goal and two assists, while John Tavares, William Nylander and Patrick Marleau all had a goal and an assist for Toronto.
Frederik Andersen made 34 saves for the Maple Leafs, who turn their attention to Thursday night when they visit the Islanders in Tavares’ return to New York.
Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for Edmonton. Mikko Koskinen allowed four goals on 16 shots before being replaced by Anthony Stolarz, who finished with 18 saves.
Oilers star Connor McDavid returned to the lineup after serving his two-game suspension for a hit to the head on Islanders defenceman Nick Leddy last week.
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