VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Rookie Matt Duchene used a strong deke to the forehand to score the only goal of a shootout and put the Colorado Avalanche in the playoffs with a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.
Craig Anderson stopped 28 shots through overtime and all three in the shootout as the Avalanche secured a postseason spot that seemed a stretch for a young team that finished last in the Western Conference last season.
Darcy Tucker, TJ Galiardi and Paul Stastny scored for Colorado, which had lost a season high four straight, including a key one to ninth-place Calgary, before rallying to beat San Jose in overtime Sunday.
The Avalanche then ended a four-game road skid by handing the Canucks their ninth home loss and eliminating the Flames, who lost to 2-1 San Jose earlier.
