The game wasn’t even six minutes old and already the Avalanche was down by two goals to its natural-disaster-nicknamed brethren from Carolina. It was just the kind of game, in other words, where the Avs of last season would have packed it in and seen things get worse as it went along.
The final Friday night, though, finished 5-4 in favor of the Avalanche over the Hurricanes. A game the Avs might not have deserved to win, but did anyway — something not seen around these parts for a while.
“It was a great win for us,” said Avs coach Joe Sacco, whose team improved to 7-1-2. “The way we battled back after a slow start showed a lot of character.”
While the win, in front of a surprisingly light crowd of 13,673, produced smiles in the home dressing room afterward, the night was darkened by a head injury to Avs veteran Darcy Tucker. After being hit from behind by Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu early in the second period, Tucker lost consciousness and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. He was said to have been alert after the game with full mobility but suffered a concussion and needed stitches.
The Avs got two goals and an assist from first-line center Paul Stastny, including the game-winner on the power play at 6:21 of the third. Craig Anderson, pressed into duty after planned starter Peter Budaj came down with the flu, stopped 32-of-36 shots, including a penalty shot to Carolina’s Ray Whitney at 3:03 of the third that preserved a 4-3 lead.
“We didn’t have our best game tonight and there were a couple goals I wish I could have back, but we did what it took to win,” Anderson said. “I made the save on the penalty shot, which boosted the morale of the team and got me back into my groove a little bit.”
Whitney’s shot slipped through Anderson’s pads, but not enough to get over the goal line.
“If the ice was clean, I think it might have slid in,” Anderson said. “But the bottom line is we found a way.”
Stastny, who had only two points in his previous seven games, tied the game 2-2 on a wicked backhander late in the first, 31 seconds after Ryan O’Reilly cut Carolina’s lead in half. Stastny converted Milan Hejduk’s crossing pass on the ensuing faceoff after the Avs were given a 5-on-3 power play for 24 seconds at 6:14 of the third.
“The ice tilted back and forth the whole game,” Stastny said. “We’d get a couple power plays, then we’d sit back and they were all over us. They’re a good skating team. But it shows what kind of team we have; different guys are stepping up at different times.”
Wojtek Wolski also had a strong offensive game with a goal and assist, and Chris Stewart added two assists. Otherwise, the Avs were assessed 17 giveaways in the game, to seven by Carolina. Sloppiness with the puck was frequent, but this team still found a way to win.
“For some unknown reason, that happens after road trips, the first game back home,” Avs captain Adam Foote said. “You just don’t have your legs in the first. But we were able to come back and stay in it, and Andy really made a big save on that penalty shot.”
The Avs’ record after 10 games is the team’s second-best in that span since moving to Denver, with the 2000-01 team going 8-2-0.
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
Avs Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Paul Stastny.
Avs center had two goals and an assist.
2. Eric Staal.
Despite a bad penalty at the end of the game, was dangerous all night.
3. Ryan O’Reilly.
Avs rookie impressed again with a goal and assist.
What you might have missed
Craig Anderson set a franchise record for most starts (10) to start a season. The previous mark was nine by Quebec’s Mario Gosselin in 1987-88.
Up next
Detroit, tonight at 7 p.m., Pepsi Center.
Adrian Dater, The Denver Post
DETROIT AT COLORADO
7 p.m. tonight, ALT, KCKK 1510 AM/KRCN 1060 AM
Spotlight on Nicklas Lidstrom: Is he finally starting to lose it a little? Like a lot of Wings players, he’s been a little slow out of the gate. But nobody is ready to call the 39-year-old multiple Norris Trophy winner over the hill just yet.
Red Wings: Coach Mike Babcock has not been happy with his team’s overall intensity of late. After Thursday’s overtime loss to Phoenix, Babcock said: “Bottom line, the games are 60 minutes long, you know that going in. Our last two have been 65 minutes, so play the whole thing. Don’t play 51 minutes or 57 and a half. Play the whole . . . thing.” . . . Center Pavel Datsyuk returned from an upper body injury Thursday. . . . Winger Johan Franzen (torn ACL) remains out until at least February.
Avalanche: Defenseman John-Michael Liles (bruised shoulder) hopes to return next week. He has been practicing but not taking contact. . . . Defenseman Tom Preissing (knee) remains two to three weeks away from returning. Adrian Dater, The Denver Post
