Despite scoring twice, Milan Hejduk couldn’t keep the New York Islanders and John Tavares, who scored the overtime winner, at bay in a highly defensive 4-3 game.
The first two minutes of the first period was all about the Avalanche, the Islanders playing to their recent reputation.

Forty-five seconds in, Hejduk took the puck straight to NHL newcomer-goalie Kevin Poulin. Right off the bat the Duke showed Poulin what the league was all about, putting the Avs up 1-0. Just under a minute later, Ryan O’Byrne sent the puck to the net from the point which deflected off of David Koci’s knee.

For Koci this was a huge moment; he tied his point tally from last season.

After those first two minutes, however, the Burgundy and Blue seemed to lose their intensity and the Islanders took advantage. Having lost just two of their last 10 games, Tavares and company played some great defense to shut down the Avs.

Jeremy Colliton, in his first game with the Isles, scored a powerplay goal at 5:52 that was followed seven minutes later by another goal on the PP by Blake Comeau. This was not a team the Avs needed to take lightly on the powerplay.

Special teams clearly a weakness, the tie game didn’t last long once the Avalanche went back on the penalty kill on a Ryan O’Reilly tripping call early in the second. Colliton was able to convert again to give the Isles the 3-2 lead that would remain until the end of the period.

During the entire third period, the Islanders were able to shut down the Avalanche offense more often than not in the neutral zone. Though the Avs had more time in the Isles’ zone in this period they weren’t able to get one past Poulin.

Yet with four seconds left in the game and Craig Anderson on the bench, Milan Hejduk managed to tie the game, scoring his second goal of the night. With a pile of bodies on the ice in front of the net, the puck squirted to the Duke who banged it home, forcing overtime.

Four minutes of overtime went by, each team getting shots on goal. Then John Tavares outworked Kevin Shattenkirk in the corner only to take the puck to Anderson and pop it up for the overtime win.

Notes: Greg Mauldin, Cody McLeod, and Jonas Holøs were healthy scratches for this afternoon’s game.

What did you think? What do the Avs need to do to improve special teams?

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