The Colorado Avalanche won the battle for top spot in the Northwest Division on Sunday, surviving a tense final period to hold off the Calgary Flames 3-2.
Rene Bourque set up a Mark Giordano powerplay goal to help the Flames (19-9-4) claw back to within one in the last period, but Colorado hung on for a deserved win after claiming a 35-21 shot advantage.
“Our line has jelled really well together and I think it’s helped me gain some confidence,” said the Avalanche’s Wojtek Wolski, who scoring the game’s first at 13.05 in the first period.
The 23-year-old Wolski also made an assist and leads the Avalanche with 13 goals, just one shy of his total for last season.
Teammate Chris Stewart followed with a goal at nine minutes, 17 seconds in the second to put the Avalanche (19-10-6) 2-0 in front.
“The more we play with each other, it seems the more we seem to read off each other,” Stewart, who also had an assist, told reporters when asked about the line of Wolski, Paul Stastny and himself. “Those are two world-class players I’m with, big-name players, and they make the big plays.”
Bourque cut the deficit to 2-1 at 10 minutes, 34 seconds in the second, but Darcy Tucker broke a 17-game goal drought seven minutes later to restore Colorado’s two-goal advantage.
Calgary netminder Miikka Kiprusoff had a busy night making 32 saves with Colorado outshooting the Flames 20-6 in the first period and enjoying five power plays.
“I think we were in the penalty box the whole first period,” Flames captain Jarome Iginla said.
■EASTERN CONFERENCE
AP, CHICAGO
Blackhawks backup goalie Antti Niemi made 18 saves for his third shutout in seven starts this season, and Marian Hossa had a goal and an assist in Chicago’s 4-0 victory over the slumping Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night.
Patrick Kane, Ben Eager and Jonathan Toews also scored for the Blackhawks, who have won three of four and improved to 6-1-1 against Eastern Conference teams.
Kane left the game with six minutes, 59 seconds left in the first period because of an upper-body injury and didn’t return. Kane landed hard after Matt Smaby tripped him along the boards and appeared to sustain a head injury either due to the impact or being hit with the puck.
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