Following a pair of confidence-building victories, the Colorado Avalanche take aim at their first three-game winning streak of the season on Tuesday night as they host an Edmonton Oilers club that is concluding a two-week road trip.
The Avalanche got a goal and three assists from Matt Duchene in Friday's 6-2 win over visiting Chicago, ending the Blackhawks' historic 24-game season- opening points streak.
That win snapped a three-game slide for Colorado and was the club's second in eight games, but the Avs made it two in a row thanks to some late heroics from Duchene.
After picking up a first-period power-play goal, the 22-year-old winger scored the winner in a 3-2 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks with just tenths of a second left on the clock.
The goal stood following a review.
"This feels awesome, at first I did not think it was going to count," said Duchene. "It was a good play by three guys who made it happen and I was just able to club it in. We're getting great, big efforts from everyone."
P.A. Parenteau assisted on both of Duchene's goals and Ryan O'Reilly also lit the lamp. Semyon Varlamov made 36 saves, giving Colorado a chance to post a perfect three-game homestand tonight.
The Avalanche will look to do so against the Oilers, who close out a nine-game road trip and are also coming off a huge win over the Blackhawks.
Edmonton handed mighty Chicago its second straight defeat with a 6-5 decision on Sunday. The Oilers scored four times in the first period and led 6-4 after 40 minutes despite giving up four goals in the middle frame.
The Blackhawks pulled within one 7:06 into the third period, but Yann Danis made 10 saves on 11 shots in the frame as the Oilers held on.
Danis came into the game when Devan Dubnyk suffered an upper body injury near the midpoint of the second period. Dubnyk, who stopped 11-of-13 shots faced, was hurt on a collision in net, though head coach Ralph Krueger said afterwards he showed no signs of a head injury.
Sam Gagner scored twice in the win, while Taylor Hall and Ryan Whitney had a goal and an assist each. Shawn Horcoff and Mike Brown each scored once to help the Oilers put the brakes on a five-game skid and improve to 2-4-2 on their road trip.
Edmonton had been shut out in each of its previous two games.
"This was huge for us," Hall said of the win. "We know that we're going to have to start winning some games and stringing together some wins if we want to get a playoff spot."
Edmonton has won two of three versus the Avalanche this season, wrapping a pair of home wins around a 3-1 loss in Colorado on Feb. 2. It was the Oilers' third straight defeat in Denver.
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