WASHINGTON — Avalanche captain Adam Foote called a team meeting after Saturday’s game with the Washington Capitals. First and last on the agenda: Yell “Yeaahhh!”
The sound of victory was evident far from the visitors’ dressing room shortly after Foote gathered his battle-worn teammates together to commemorate the Avs’ 3-2 victory over a desperate Capitals team at the Verizon Center.
Playing the final of a five-game road swing through the NHL’s Southeast Division, the short-handed, tired Avs outbattled a Caps team that has now lost five in a row. Despite merciless offensive pressure by the Caps in the final 10 minutes of the game, Colorado emerged still standing, thanks to some gritty penalty-killing and goals from Kevin Shattenkirk, Ryan Wilson and Paul Stastny — oh, and the goaltending of Craig Anderson, who finished with 40 saves.
After three winless games to start the trip, the Avs finished up with two straight wins and, more important, Foote said, became a real team again.
“It was great to be on the road together, be good teammates and stick together,” Foote said. “I think we’re learning how to grind it out. We’re using our speed a lot better, and we’re playing the right way. I think when we put our grinding game plan in with our talent and speed, then we’ve got something we can talk about. I think we’re starting to figure that out.”
This was one entertaining game. There was some of everything, with both teams playing a fast, hard-hitting style most of the way. Down 3-1 after two periods, Washington threw everything it had against Anderson in the final 20 minutes and got a goal from ex-Av Matt Hendricks early on to make it a one-goal game. Despite withering pressure in the final 10 — two because of a Kevin Porter delay-of- game penalty — the Avs prevented the equalizer, thanks to Anderson and particularly strong defensive work from Ryan Wilson, Ryan O’Byrne and Daniel Winnik.
“It was a gut check for us tonight. We had some excuses we could have used tonight, but we didn’t use them,” Avs coach Joe Sacco said. “To come in against a Washington team that was waiting for us and win says a lot about our club.”
Stastny’s goal, coming on a five- minute power play after Washington’s Alex Semin cross-checked John- Michael Liles to the back of the head, made it 3-1 at 9:53 of the second. The goal was set up on a great crossing pass from Shattenkirk, from high in the right circle.
Wilson, playing his first game in a while, converted after taking a Stastny pass and having the entire left side of the Caps’ zone to skate down to break a 1-1 tie in the first.
“Shatty had already scored, so they had to respect him coming down, and I just kind of hid there and he made a great pass,” Stastny said. “Different guys stepped up, and Andy played unbelievable.”
The Avs finished the road trip 2-1-2.
“When you’re losing guys to injuries like we have, you have to play as a team,” Stastny said. “But when everybody is communicating and pulling for each other, it makes it that much easier.”
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
Avs Recap
The Post’s three stars
1. Ryan Wilson.
Avs defenseman played a superb two-way game, scoring a goal and being physical.
2. Craig Anderson.
Avalanche goalie made the big saves in the final stretch.
3. Matt Hendricks.
Former Av scored a pretty power-play goal to make it a one-goal game in third period.
What you might have missed
Wilson nearly lined up Capitals star Alex Ovechkin for a huge open-ice hit in the first period but ended up only partially colliding with him.
Up next
Vs. Chicago, Monday, 7 p.m., Pepsi Center.
Adrian Dater, The Denver Post
