Colorado Avalanche Big Guns Silence Columbus Cannon
The Colorado Avalanche faced the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena for their second and final meeting of the season. In the previous game at the Pepsi Center, the Blue Jackets stole both points by earning a goal in the waning seconds of the game.
The Blue Jackets fire off a ceremonial cannon every time the team scores in their home arena. Well, thanks to Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov‘s 44 saves, the cannon never went off.
What’s more, the Colorado Avalanche’s big guns fired off four goals of their own.
Jarome Iginla‘s Historic Rocket
Veteran winger Jarome Iginla has a powerful slapshot. Just 2 1/2 minutes into the game, he let Columbus goalie Curtis McElhinney become aware of that fact.
The Colorado Avalanche were on a 5-on-3 power play thanks to Columbus skater Nick Foligno‘s tripping Ryan O’Reilly and Dalton Prout‘s delay of game puck flip. The Avs kept the three Blue Jackets penalty killers pinned down low. That allowed Iginla to pinch in and unleash his slapshot from closer than usual. The puck had whizzed past McElhinney before he could even react.
With that goal, Iginla has 1,211 NHL points. He broke the tie wit Bobby Clarke, putting him in sole possession of the 43rd spot on the all-time scoring list.
Gabriel Landeskog‘s Streak
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has found his scoring mojo. Basically, he parks himself in front of the opponent net and waits for an opportunity to tip one in. It may not result in highlight reel goals, but it gets the job done.
Landeskog worked that mojo on the second half of the same power play, once the team was skating 5-on-4. He received a pass from Ryan O’Reilly, whipped around, and just beat McElhinney.
Iginla said to NHL.com of the power play goals:
"“To get two power-play goals that quick, that’s exactly how you want to start a game.”"
Alex Tanguay‘s Heartbreaker
When a team is down 3-0 midway through the third period, as the Columbus Blue Jackets were, the situation is grim. However, they were busy peppering Varlamov with shots, and things can happen fast in hockey.
Then veteran forward Alex Tanguay took the final whiff of a breeze out of their sails. He causally received a long pass from offensive defensman Tyson Barrie and just glided into the offensive zone — backwards, no less. He looked like he had all the time in the world.
The play didn’t look to be developing dangerously. However, when you have sniper’s hands like Tanguay does, any time he spends in front of the net is dangerous. He simply waited the exact right amount of time and lobbed it over a Sergei Bobrovsky — in to replace McElhinney — who’d been perfect up until that moment. He had Bobrovsky so befuddled the goalie was flopping like a fish out of water.
Matt Duchene‘s Breakaway
Though chronologically center Matt Duchene’s goal came before Tanguay’s I saved it for last because it’s a beauty.
Ugly and hard-working goals are all well and good, and they count for the exact same as beautiful goals. However, sometimes it’s just nice to lay your eyes on a beautiful goal, and that was Matt Duchene’s tally.
Duchene corralled the puck in his own defensive zone. He split the Blue Jackets’ defense like the skaters were standing still — compared to the way Duchene moves, they were. He sped down the ice, and you just knew — you just knew — he was going to score. He was weaving the puck like he had it on a string.
Just before reaching the shooting zone, Duchene effected that little back kick designed to make the goalie bite. It distracted McElhinney just enough. He shoots – he scores!
Barrie earned three assists on the night. O’Reilly had a hand in Landeskog’s goal, and Tanguay earned an assist on Iginla’s goal. So, in short, the Colorado Avalanche’s big guns came up big — and it resulted in the 4-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.