EDMONTON, Alberta — A cherished playoff berth already in hand, the Avalanche came into Rexall Place on Wednesday night still giddy from the night before and entered into what essentially was a meaningless game against the Edmonton Oilers.
But that didn’t mean the Avs felt unconcerned at all after blowing a 3-0 lead and losing 5-4 to the Oilers in overtime before a sellout crowd.
“We got the two points (Tuesday) and we got into the playoffs, but we’re professionals and we needed to play better,” said Avs winger Matt Hendricks, whose third-period goal with 7:02 left tied the game 4-4.
Sitting out a handful of regulars, including starting goalie Craig An-derson, the Avs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the game’s first nine minutes in support of goalie Peter Budaj — who started his first game since March 16. Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly and Marek Svatos scored on Oilers goalie Jeff Deslauriers, and fans settled into what looked like a long night for the team destined to finish last in the Western Conference this season, as the Avs did last year.
But playoff team or not, losing leads has been a season-long concern for the Avs. And when Andrew Cogliano scored early in the third period, the Oilers had a 4-3 lead. Budaj wound up facing 45 shots on goal, compared with 35 shots by Colorado.
“It should have been more of an emotional game, with Boods getting the start. I thought we should have given him more of a backbone here. Giving up (45) shots here, it’s unacceptable,” Hendricks said.
Budaj, who likely will play at least one of the Avs’ two remaining games, made a great save in the final second of regulation to get the game into overtime. Ryan Whitney won it at 3:50 after a couple of giveaways by Avs defenseman Kyle Quincey.
“We got a point, but it’s a disappointing loss,” Budaj said. “I think we regrouped after they got their fourth goal and started stepping on the gas.”
Budaj squelched a report from Europe that said he already had decided to play in Russia’s KHL next season.
“That’s wrong. I never said that. Somebody made it up,” Budaj said. “The NHL is, by far, my priority.”
The Avs received a strong game from winger Cody McLeod, who had two assists and finished plus-3. John-Michael Liles also continued his resurgent play with two assists. And everybody in the Avs’ dressing room was happy to see Svatos break his 28-game goal-less streak.
“I haven’t scored since 2009,” Svatos said. “It’s been a tough season, so when I get an opportunity, I’ve got to make it very simple. I don’t think we played the game the way we wanted after that 3-0 lead.”
Said Avs coach Joe Sacco: “It’s important that we get something from everybody when the playoffs come, so tonight was a good chance for some guys to get more of a chance to play. It’s important for them to stay game-ready. We let them back into it, and you have to give them some credit, but we also played a lot better after we tied it back up.”
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com and
Avs Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Dustin Penner.
Oilers forward had a goal and two assists.
2. John-Michael Liles.
Avs defenseman had two assists.
3. Tom Gilbert.
Had two assists for the Oilers.
What you might have missed
Avalanche center Kevin Porter won 7-of-11 faceoffs.
Up next
Chicago, Friday, 7 p.m., Pepsi Center.
Adrian Dater, The Denver Post
