Kanata, Ontario – Not since Bill Clinton was president has the Avalanche inhaled the sweet smell of victory in this suburban landscape, about 30 kilometers outside Canada’s capital city. When the scoreboard clock ticked to all zeros at Scotiabank Place Thursday night, it read: Avalanche 2, Ottawa Senators 1.
It was nearly a decade between victories – the previous one was Jan. 9, 1997 – and while this was not a runaway win, it was something of a shocker. Especially to some in the Ottawa media, including one radio host who said before the game the Avalanche was a team with a “bare cupboard.”
That the Avs didn’t win by a much bigger margin was the real surprise of the night, however. But goals by Joe Sakic and Brad Richardson were enough to support goalie Jose Theodore, who had his best game since coming from the Montreal Canadiens. Not a bad way to go into the finale of the Avs’ three-game road trip – Saturday in Montreal.
“I’m really happy with the way the guys played in front of me,” said Theodore, who stopped 26- of-27 shots for his second win this season. “We played really hard, and it’s fun to see, as a goalie, your team work hard in front of you.”
Theodore had his best game as an Av, and the Avs had their best period of the season. Video of Colorado’s second period should be saved by the coaches and watched whenever the team needs a future pick-me-up. The Avs outshot Ottawa 20-7, dominating long stretches of the period with cycling control of the puck in the Senators’ zone.
“Our best period of the year,” Avs coach Joel Quenneville said. “I think that first period, they came at us real hard and we were fortunate to come out of there (scoreless). Jose kept us in the game, and sometimes goaltenders give you some wins along the way. He was a big part of it tonight.”
In that second period, Sakic and Richardson beat Ottawa goalie Martin Gerber, with Richardson’s wrist shot off the rush at 16:44 coming with Colorado short-handed. That proved the game-winner, despite Dany Heatley’s third-period goal with 10:15 left and a scary 67 seconds in which the Avs played at a 6-on-4 disadvantage, with Ken Klee in the penalty box and Gerber off for the extra skater.
“We found our skating legs in the second period,” said Richardson, who has two short-handed goals on the year. “We played the kind of game we need to play: cycle the puck down low and bring it to the net. That’s when we’re successful.”
Sakic tapped in a goal on the doorstep at 10:48, after a nice setup from behind the net by Andrew Brunette. The Avs also hit a couple of posts and just missed on a few other excellent chances, making the third period more stressful than it could have been. The Avs finished with 36 shots, with Tyler Arnason getting eight.
“We got on a roll with four lines going,” Arnason said. “That’s tough to stop. We played our game, which is keep it simple, get the puck in and forecheck. It was a nice win to get, especially in this building. It’s a tough place to win.”
The Avs have known that for nearly a decade.
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com.
