Pair of Nichushkin goals, 44 Kuemper saves send Colorado Avalanche past Calgary Flames
The Colorado Avalanche are officially decimated by injuries again, but still managed to crack 100 standings points Tuesday night with a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames.
“Definitely a credit to the depth of the team, the willingness and ability of guys to step up their game and make up for the guys that are missing,” Colorado goaltender Darcy Kuemper said after making 44 saves.
Valeri Nichushkin stuck close to Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (28 saves) and scored both Avalanche power-play goals from there.
On the first one, he and defenseman Cale Makar teamed up to clean up a mess they helped create.
During the second period, Makar and Nichushkin took minor penalties 18 seconds apart. They sat in the penalty box and watched their Avalanche teammates attempt to kill a lengthy 5-on-3. Tyler Toffoli made it 1-0 Flames toward the end of the stretch.
About four minutes later, Makar took a shot on net and Nichushkin batted it past Markstrom for a 1-1 tie.
Near the midway mark of the third period, Calgary left forward Mikko Rantanen alone. He set up Nichushkin at the side of the net for a redirection.
Rantanen was the lone holdover as the Avalanche played without two out of their usual three top-line forwards. Nathan MacKinnon (upper body) joined Gabriel Landeskog (knee) on the list of scratches. For a moment in the third period, it looked like a top-two defenseman might join them. Calgary’s Elias Lindholm elbowed Devon Toews late, leaving Toews bleeding on the ice.
Toews returned for the final 22 seconds, when the Avalanche fought off an extra-attacker goal.
Those last few minutes weren’t out of line with the rest of the game, which was tightly contested.
“We knew we were going to play like that, probably, to win. And we went out and did exactly that,” Kuemper said.
Kuemper had a large hand in it. He was stopping second and third chances, squared up and rarely out of position.
“He had some tough saves to make a couple of times during some times during the game,” coach Jared Bednar said. “He looked big. He looked poised.”
Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin, center, celebrates his goal with teammates Cale Makar, left, and Mikko Rantanen during the third period Tuesday in Calgary, Alberta.