Edmonton, Alberta – The Avalanche won in a shootout Tuesday night – in a game that didn’t get that far.
Brett McLean’s gift goal midway through the third period gave the Avs a wild 7-6 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place – the second straight time the Avs put up seven goals on the Oilers here.
The Oilers blew an early two-goal lead, and the Avs squandered a late two-goal lead. But McLean’s wraparound shot with 8:33 left in the third somehow slipped past goalie Dwayne Roloson. And somehow, the Avs held the lead from that point.
“I just want to thank my team,” said Avs goalie Peter Budaj, who allowed six goals on 37 shots. “It was not one of my better games.”
Roloson’s was worse. Last spring’s playoff hero for Edmonton has allowed 17 goals on 66 shots in his past three starts against Colorado. He was not helped much by some bad Oilers penalties and a soft defense, but McLean’s goal was definitely the goalie’s fault.
“It was just a broken play off the rush, but I’ll take it,” McLean said. “We got a few bounces tonight, and so did they. It was a strange game, but we feel good getting that win.”
The Avs led 6-4 after Paul Stastny’s goal, and fourth point of the night, at 4:12 of the third. But the Oilers fought back, tying it 6-6 at 8:18 after Budaj misplayed an easy save, allowing Joffrey Lupul a tap-in goal.
The Oilers’ surging momentum was stopped cold by McLean’s goal, and the Avs played one of their few stretches of good defense when it counted – in the final five minutes, when Edmonton pressed for another equalizer.
“It felt like a playoff game,” Avs coach Joel Quenneville said. “The tide changed about 10 times in that one. We’ll take the win, but there were lots of goals that could have been prevented tonight. Pucks were going in, bottom line.”
Andrew Brunette achieved his first career hat trick for Colorado, notching them all as part of four unanswered goals by the Avs to turn a 3-1 Oilers lead into a 5-3 Colorado edge entering the third.
“It was just one of those games. Kind of crazy,” Brunette said.
Along with Stastny and Brunette, Pierre Turgeon had a big game for the Avs, notching a goal and two assists.
His intended bank shot off Roloson’s leg from behind the net got the Avs back in the game at 2-1, after Edmonton scored two goals in the first 6:04 – with McLean accidentally kicking in the first goal.
“I’ve seen (Turgeon) do that several times before,” Quenneville said of Turgeon’s tricky shot. “It came at a good time for us.”
Avs defenseman John- Michael Liles, who finished even, with two assists, emerged from the game shaking his head – albeit with a smile.
“There just was never a consistent style to the game,” he said. “I’m just glad we found a way to win.”
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com.
