On the heels of a four-game losing streak, the Colorado Avalanche knew anything short of a victory against the Vancouver Canucks would be viewed as a disappointment. With a 2-1 lead heading into the final minutes of the third period, it appeared the Avalanche were on their way to picking up the win. However, a goal from Kevin Bieska with under a minute remaining gave the Canucks momentum heading into overtime, where they would go on to earn the 3-2 (SO) victory.
With the score tied after the first period, the Avalanche took the lead with a goal from Jay McClement, who scored his seventh goal of the season on an assist from Daniel Winnik. The lead lasted until the final minute of the third period, when Bieska scored the goal that sent the game to overtime.
Roberto Luongo was outstanding in the net for the Canucks in the win. Luongo stopped 44 of the 46 shots he faced and also denied the Avalanche on all three attempts in the shootout. Jean-Sebastien Giguere was impressive for the Avalanche, stopping 27 of the 29 shots he faced.
For more coverage, visit our Avalanche blog Mile High Hockey and our Canucks blog Nucks Misconduct.