Power-play failure costs Avalanche

Colorado doesn't get tying goal despite two-man advantage

Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News

Published December 21, 2005 at midnight

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A trip that started in frustrating fashion for the Colorado Avalanche ended the same way Tuesday night.

Down by a goal and on a six-on-four power play with goalie Vitaly Kolesnik on the bench for an extra attacker and 42.6 seconds remaining in regulation, the Avalanche couldn't send the game to overtime and dropped a 3-2 decision to the Nashville Predators before 15,120 fans at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

The Avalanche fell into a 2-0 hole before the contest was 8 minutes old and made a game of it but couldn't come all the way back.

"We generated a little bit, but not enough to get one in there (at the end)," defenseman Rob Blake said.

It was the same scenario Saturday.

After battling back from as much as a three-goal deficit against the New York Islanders, the Avalanche pulled within 5-4 but didn't convert a six-on-four advantage with goalie Peter Budaj off in the third period's final minute.

Brett Clark's turnover Tuesday led to a key third-period goal by the Predators' Scott Hartnell. Hartnell stripped the puck from the Avalanche defenseman and scored on a breakaway with 9 minutes, 19 seconds remaining for a 3-1 Nashville lead.

The goal turned out to be decisive when the Avalanche's John-Michael Liles scored with 1:41 to play during a six-on-five advantage with Kolesnik on the bench.

"I went to play the puck and I poked it a little too far ahead of me," a downcast Clark said. "It was a foot race and we both went for it at the same time and he poked it through. He made a good play, but I need to be stronger there.

"It was a tough mistake. I cost us the game. We're in the game the whole way and I can't give up that kind of play there."

Both teams had excellent scoring chances in the third period with the Predators holding a 2-1 lead.

Joe Sakic left a drop pass for Marek Svatos, who was skating in alone on goalie Tomas Vokoun, but lost control of the puck.

Later, with the Avalanche on a power play, Nashville's Mark Eaton fed Steve Sullivan for a clean breakaway, but he was foiled by Kolesnik.

"We were in the game at 2-1, then we had a big turnover at a critical time," coach Joel Quenneville said. "(Kolesnik) had made a big save short-handed . . . it's a tough one."

Quenneville wouldn't commit to Kolesnik playing Thursday when the Avalanche plays Minnesota at the Pepsi Center in the first of a home-and-home series before the Christmas break.

"We'll talk about who's going to be in net next game. He was OK," Quenneville said of Kolesnik, who finished with 24 saves.

The Avalanche had several good chances right after the opening faceoff, including an Ian Laperriere breakaway, but it was the Predators who bolted to an early lead.

The Avalanche keeps harping on how important it is to stay out of the penalty box, yet it took three penalties in the first 7 1/2 minutes and fell behind on power-play goals by Sullivan and Marek Zidlicky.

"We had five great chances right off the bat to get the initial goal," Quenneville said. "It turned out we were digging a big hole. I would have liked to have seen us win more puck battles, be stronger in that area."

Sullivan whacked in a rebound on a two-man advantage at 7:42 and Zidlicky beat Kolesnik to the short side with a stoppable shot from inside the left circle at 9:02.

The Avalanche closed the gap to 2-1 on a two-man advantage at 16:20 when Pierre Turgeon connected for his first goal in 10 games.

"Our penalty kill could be better," Blake said. "They got a 2-0 lead on power plays and we have to make sure we kill those. We cut the lead to 2-1 and we had our chances in the second period, but we didn't bury them."

Sakic got the puck to Milan Hejduk about 7 minutes into the second period and he had an open net to shoot at after Vokoun lunged in his direction and took himself out of position. But Hejduk didn't have much of an angle and clanged the puck off the left post.

"Maybe I should have shot it right away," Hejduk said. "I was pretty close to the net, so I tried to go around (Vokoun) and tried to put it in."

The game was officiated by one referee, Ian Walsh, after Rob Shick was diagnosed with a broken foot in the morning.

First period - 1, Nas, Sullivan 15 (Hall, Timonen), 7:42 (pp). 2, Nas, Zidlicky 8 (Erat, Hamhuis), 9:02 (pp). 3, Col, Turgeon 9 (Sakic, Blake), 16:20 (pp).

Penalties - Brisebois, Col, (interference), 2:59; Laperriere, Col, (holding), 6:56; Sakic, Col, (hooking), 7:35; Erat, Nas (interference), 14:45; Timonen, Nas (hooking), 15:00.

Second period - None. Penalties - Laperriere, Col, (tripping), 5:26; Eaton, Nas (holding), 12:28.

Third period - 4, Nas, Hartnell 11, 10:41. 5, Col, Liles 9 (Laperriere, Sakic), 18:19. Penalties - Zidlicky, Nas (hooking), 6:46; May, Col, (hooking), 15:00; Hall, Nas (high-sticking), 19:17.

Shots - Col 12-6-8 - 26. Nas 14-8-5 - 27. Power plays - Col 1 of 5; Nas 2 of 5. Goalies - Col, Kolesnik 3-3-0 (27 shots-24 saves). Nas, Vokoun 17-5-2 (26-24). A - 15,120 (17,113). T - 2:18. Referees - Rob Shick, Ian Walsh. Linesmen - Angelo D'Amico, Greg Devorski.

sadowskir@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2587

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