“Take off your shoes so you don’t throw one at me if we lose,” my mom uttered to me in a half joking, half serious tone during last night’s game against Calgary. A fair enough demand knowing my tendency towards hurling things across the room in a fit of anger, though I do not remember ever throwing anything directed at my mother. She might remember differently.
Bracing for a loss was also an adequate assessment after the Avs allowed TWO shorthanded goals on the SAME power play only 30 seconds apart. After jumping out of my seat and shouting some profanity at the TV, I stormed upstairs to cool off, and was pretty confident we had just witnessed a new NHL record. As it turns out Calgary does hold the NHL record for quickest consecutive shorthanded goals, but not against the Avs. Oddly enough, it was against the Quebec Nordiques in 1988 when Calgary scored two shorties in only four seconds. Thankfully I was only 3 years old at the time, and was more concerned with my hot pink one-piece snowsuit than with a hockey team in faraway Canada.
Despite the happenings during those horrific 30 seconds the Avs continued to play hard and Berrie’s goal brought the Avs within one goal only a few minutes later to make the score 2-3. The third period has plagued us, and while the Avs had a solid third period in Vancouver, old habits die hard, and trailing going into the third period did not sit well. However, the Avs proved their determination, and Soderberg got the game-tying goal midway through the third.
The game would go into OT, and a majority of the play was in the Avalanche end, until the Flames got a penalty and would go to 4 on 3. The Avs were unable to capitalize on the power play, which brought the game into a shootout. The Avs have been undefeated in the shootout this year, with Varly only allowing one goal against. However, the Avs were going to have to take this shootout without Landeskog (out for suspension), Duchene (day to day with a knee injury), and MacKinnon (left the third with what we now know is a knee injury). Turns out it that didn’t matter. Varly made all three saves and Boedker scored the only goal to give the Avs the much needed extra point.
While the two shorthanded goals still sting, this was a game of character for the Avs, they may have been lacking key players, but it allowed us to see what kind of depth the team now has. Players like Boedker, Johnson and Skille all stepped up, and demonstrated that we deserve that final playoff spot.
The two points gave the extra cushion on Minnesota, who won today, allowing the Avs to still be one point ahead of the dreaded “folks up nort there,” and my mom can be thankful that I didn’t have to resort to throwing any shoes or any other objects within my immediate reach.
Follow the link below to see Boedker's game winning goal.