If it turns out that the Avalanche maintains a grip on first place for the rest of the season in the Northwest Division, fans might look back on “Durno’s Dive” as the catalyst for continuity.
Symbolizing the Avs’ frenzied comeback against the Atlanta Thrashers Wednesday night, fourth-line forward Chris Durno’s diving, backhand, 100-percent-hustle goal tied the game late and young defenseman Kyle Cumiskey won it nine seconds into overtime in Colorado’s 4-3 victory.
While Cumiskey’s brilliant rush-and-finish move on the first shift of OT was all flash and dazzle, Durno’s play was true grit on ice. With a puck sitting loose to the left of Atlanta goalie Johan Hedberg about 10 feet away, Durno made like Greg Louganis and dived for the puck and put it home with 5:29 left in regulation.
The win, Colorado’s third straight, put it two points up on Vancouver in the Northwest Division.
“I just dove at it there. Got lucky,” Durno said. “Obviously, I had a little bit of net there. The goalie was down and out. I just lunged at it and was lucky to get it up and over him.”
Cumiskey, the youngster with the former reputation of a guy with great wheels but no finishing ability, went another step in putting that label to bed with a great individual play to win it. Cumiskey simply split the entire Atlanta defense and put a forehand shot to the top left corner to get the Avs a win on a night they seemed dead and buried after the first 45 minutes of the game.
“They just gave me some space and time. I was thinking of passing to (Chris Stewart) there, but they gave me the opening and I pretty much just went for it,” said Cumiskey, whose goal was his seventh.
The Avs were down 3-1 after Nik Antropov’s wicked wrist shot got past Craig Anderson at 4:19, and Atlanta had a sizable edge in shots and every other conceivable statistic. But starting with Stewart’s second-effort shot past Hedberg (now 0-5 against the Avs in his career) at 8:34, the home team dominated the rest of the way.
“We really found a way to muster up some energy,” Avs coach Joe Sacco said. “I thought Durno’s goal was all desperation, symbolic of the way that line was playing there. It was just a huge goal. Kyle just made a great individual play.”
Hedberg had barely had a chance to come out of his crease before Cumiskey had broken through the four Atlanta teammates in front of him.
“I think everybody was very surprised. I think if we played it again, we would have done it differently,” Hedberg said.
Cumiskey’s goal set a franchise record for the fastest in overtime, breaking the old mark of 19 seconds shared by Sandis Ozolinsh against Washington in 1999, and Milan Hejduk vs. San Jose in 2007.
“We encourage all our D to join the rush and support the attack, particularly a guy like Kyle with his speed and ability to get back,” Sacco said. “We knew what we were playing for before the game. We’re happy with where we are now, but not satisfied.”
The Post’s three stars
1. Chris Durno.
Avs fourth-liner scored an inspirational goal to get the game to overtime.
2. Kyle Cumiskey.
Brilliant goal in overtime won it for Colorado.
3. Nik Antropov.
Had a goal and an assist for Atlanta.
What you might have missed
It was the first time this season the Avs won a game in overtime. They had been 0-1 in overtime and 5-5 in shootouts.
Up next
Phoenix at the Pepsi Center, Friday at 7 p.m.
Adrian Dater, The Denver Post
