It was the performance of Calvin Pickard and Colorado’s prowess on the power play that propelled the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 shootout victory over the St. Louis Blues at Pepsi Center on Friday night. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak by Colorado, their second-longest of the season.
Pickard made 27 saves, including all five he faced in overtime, but the two most important saves he made didn’t make it to the stat sheet. After skating to a 1-1 tie after the extra period, Pickard was perfect in the shootout to deliver a Colorado victory. Pickard stopped Alex Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko, while Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon were successful for the Avalanche. Tyson Jost, making his NHL debut, was unsuccessful for Colorado.
The power play and penalty kill were also crucial in securing Colorado’s 21st win of the season. J.T. Compher scored the Avs’ lone regulation goal midway through the second period on the power play. Colorado was 1-of-2 on the night, while they were a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Jost logged 13:25 on the ice in 20 shifts in his NHL debut. The rookie was Colorado’s top pick, 10th overall, in the 2016 NHL Draft. He joined the Avalanche just days after ending his collegiate career with the University of North Dakota. Jost played one season for the Fighting Hawks, recording 16 goals and 19 assists.
