Anaheim, Calif. – In a game the Avalanche had absolutely no business winning Saturday night, the Avs did anyway, thanks to one person – Peter Budaj.
Budaj was sensational for the Avs in leading them to a 3-2 shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
Anaheim outshot Colorado 40-17 through regulation, but Budaj was too good. Avs veteran Milan Hejduk won the game with a deciding shootout goal against the Western Conference-leading Ducks.
Wojtek Wolski, named to the NHL YoungStars game earlier in the day, scored his eighth goal in 10 games to give the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 2:41 of the second period. Wolski was in perfect position to put back the rebound of a Joe Sakic shot that Ducks goalie Ilya Bryzgalov couldn’t stop.
The lead would last until 11:03 left in regulation, when Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf – also named to the YoungStars team – put home a shot in front.
It was starting to look like Budaj might steal two points for the Avs in regulation at that point, rebounding from his five-goal, 17-shot performance against Calgary on Thursday night. Getzlaf’s goal came on Anaheim’s 30th shot of the night, to just 14 for the Avs by that point.
Andrew Brunette got the Avs off to a good start at 4:37 of the first period, scoring his 15th goal. The veteran winger made a nifty deke with the puck in front of Bryzgalov, and roofed a backhander that went in under the crossbar.
The lead was short-lived. Curtis Glencross scored in his first NHL game for Anaheim, a nice wrist shot from the slot following a crossing pass from Getzlaf.
