NEW YORK – Chris Stewart scored his second power-play goal of the game in the third period, and Daniel Winnik extended Colorado's lead 26 seconds later as the Avalanche ended a five-game road trip with a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Monday night.
With the game tied 1-1, Stewart shoved down defenseman Steve Eminger in the crease, took a pass from the trapezoid from Paul Stastny, and shoved the puck past goalie Henrik Lundqvist at 7:20. Stewart has a team-leading five goals this season, with at least one in each of the past three games.
Winnik jammed a shot in from in front to make it 3-1 at 7:46. Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles earned an assist for the sixth straight game, and Craig Anderson stopped 31 shots for his third win of the season. Colorado went 3-2 on the first of its two five-game road trips this season — including a 2-1 mark against the three New York-area teams.
The Rangers forged a 1-1 tie in the first when Alex Frolov answered Stewart's first of the game, but without injured top-line forwards Marian Gaborik and Chris Drury, New York couldn't muster much offense. The Rangers went 0 for 5 on the power play for the second straight game, and are 0-2-1 since a season-opening win at Buffalo.
Lundqvist made 31 saves.
Colorado took a 1-0 lead with 7:19 left in the first period when Stewart scored 11 seconds into the Avalanche's first power play.
Liles, the Avalanche's leading scorer with eight points in six games, took a shot from the right circle. Stewart swiveled away from defenseman Marc Staal in front of the net and deftly deflected the drive past Lundqvist.
New York was being greatly outplayed by the Avalanche, who held the lead and a 15-4 edge in shots when Rangers coach John Tortorella burned his lone timeout with 6:53 remaining in the first.
The strategy seemed to work.
The Rangers picked up their play and nearly tied it less than two minutes later during a man advantage. Michal Rozsival's drive struck a post behind Anderson and caromed out to the left. Frolov was there, in front of a gaping left side, but fanned on the shot.
He made up for it before the period was finished.
During 4-on-4 play, Frolov broke out of the Rangers' zone on a 2-on-1 rush with Staal. Frolov held the puck until he was deep in the Avalanche end and slid a pass to his left toward Staal.
Colorado defenseman Kyle Quincey dived to try to thwart the pass, but the puck glided under him toward the net. It got across the line before Staal made sure of the goal by swiping it into the net at 18:09.
It was the first goal with the Rangers for Frolov, who scored 19 with Los Angeles last season.
New York was foiled by the goal post again in the second period when defenseman Dan Girardi hit one.
NOTES: Liles tied the Avalanche franchise record for the longest assist streak to start a season. Paul Stastny also had assists in the first six games in 2008. Liles also tied Sandis Ozolinsh's team mark for consecutive games with a point by a defenseman to start a season. ... Rangers LW Vinny Prospal, who has yet to play this season, underwent knee surgery on Monday and is expected to be sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks. ... Avalanche RW Brandon Yip missed his second straight game because of a groin injury.
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