Avs Takes Game From Wild

Erik Haula all but secured the Minnesota Wild’s Game 1 win Thursday night.

As the puck slid down the ice, the crowd was holding its breath while defenseman Erik Johnson was racing after it. Just before it crossed the goal line Johnson dove and knocked it away with 1:32 left in regulation, keeping the Colorado Avalanche within a goal.

“It’s three inches from losing the game,” center Paul Stastny said. “If that doesn’t happen, that hustle out of EJ, we’re not here in this moment.”

“This moment” was basking in the glow of another thrilling win by the won’t-quit Avalanche. Given another chance by Johnson, Stastny sent the game into overtime with 13.4 seconds left and then scored 7:27 into the extra period to give Colorado a 5-4 win and a 1-0 series lead.

Johnson’s hustle epitomized what the Avalanche has been all season – relentless and confident.

“That was certainly a key moment,” coach Patrick Roy said of Johnson. “There are a lot of key moments in the game. This one was probably one.”

It was a winning moment in a game full of them for the Avalanche. Rookie Nathan MacKinnon showed poise way beyond his years with three assists, two of which came on Stastny’s equalizer and winner.

Source: NHL