It was quite a first goal for Avalanche rookie Cody McLeod. Not only did he steal a pass from one of the best defensemen in the NHL — Brian Rafalski — he beat a future Hall of Fame goalie, Dominik Hasek.
That was a highlight for the Avs on a night they will want to forget as a team, but one McLeod always will remember.
“It’s definitely something you want to do when you’re growing up. Then, to steal a goal, that’s kind of a bonus,” McLeod said. “We were down 2-0 right at the end of the first period and we got some life. But it’s a tough one to lose tonight.”
Footnotes.
Avs defender Jordan Leopold (thigh laceration) was held out another game. He is likely to return Saturday against Los Angeles. Avs center Paul Stastny turned 22 Thursday. Avs winger Milan Hejduk had a rough night, with only one shot on net and a minus-2. Brett Clark was a minus-3 for Colorado. Avs youngster Wojtek Wolski on how tough it is to play against Detroit: “They really have some back-side pressure. It’s hard to get breaks and it’s hard to get odd-man rushes when they’re continually coming back that hard.”
