The Colorado Avalanche have won just 19 games this season. Only four of those have come following other wins. Those numbers sat at 18 and three before Francois Beauchemin lit the lamp with 1:14 remaining in the third period on Thursday night to break a 2-2 tie and give Colorado its 10th home win on what has been a disappointing first season for first-year head coach Jared Bednar at Pepsi Center.
Nathan MacKinnon scored for a second consecutive game to give Colorado a 1-0 lead in the second period. The two teams skated to a scoreless first that saw New Jersey put just three shots on Calvin Pickard to Colorado’s 10 on Cory Schneider. The Devils flipped the script in the second period, outshooting the Avs 13-2, but MacKinnon needed only one shot to find nylon and stake Colorado an advantage.
Taylor Hall leveled things less than a minute into the third, but Rene Bourque answered at the 4:05 mark to push Colorado back out front. Stefan Noesen evened things up with a nifty goal from behind the Avalanche net set up by Beau Bennett. Beauchemin put Colorado ahead for good when a rocket from the top of the near circle went top shelf past Schneider.
Colorado will go for its first three-game winning streak of the season when they host Ottawa on Saturday.
