-----------------------------
Colorado 0 0 1--1
Ottawa 1 2 1--4
-----------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Ottawa, Alfredsson 13 (Mceachern), 2:01.
Penalties: Emmons, Ott (holding stick), 8:19; Bourque, Col (holding
stick), 14:47; Mceachern, Ott (slashing), 17:06.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Ottawa, Yashin 27 (Havlat, Rachunek), 0:52.
3, Ottawa, Mceachern 20 (power play) (Yashin, Redden), 9:57. Penalties:
Nieminen, Col (high sticking), 7:08; Miller, Col (interference), 9:51;
Phillips, Ott (holding), 16:25.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 4, Colorado, Hinote 4 (Reid, Messier), 9:51. 5,
Ottawa, Arvedson 13 (shorthanded) (Fisher), 13:21. Penalties: Miller, Col
(holding), 1:06; Mceachern, Ott (slashing), 7:15; Zamuner, Ott (tripping),
12:06.
Shots on goal:
---------------------------------
Colorado 4 11 11--26
Ottawa 7 5 8--20
---------------------------------
Power-play Conversions: Col - 0 of 5, Ott - 1 of 4. Goalies: Colorado,
Aebischer (20 shots, 16 saves; record: 7-5-3). Ottawa, Lalime (26, 25;
record: 23-13-4). A:18,500. Referees: Gregson, Joannette. Linesmen:
Collins, Gauthier.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS
Colorado Ottawa
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
Bourque 0 0 -1 3 Alfredsson 1 0 even 3
Deadmarsh 0 0 -1 3 Arvedson 1 0 even 1
Drury 0 0 -2 2 Bonk 0 0 even 0
Forsberg 0 0 -1 2 Dackell 0 0 even 1
G De Vries 0 0 even 1 Emmons 0 0 even 1
Hejduk 0 0 -1 3 Fisher 0 1 +1 3
Hinote 1 0 +1 1 Havlat 0 1 +1 1
Klemm 0 0 -1 2 Hnidy 0 0 +1 2
Messier 0 1 +1 2 Hossa 0 0 even 0
Miller 0 0 +1 0 Mceachern 1 1 +1 2
Nieminen 0 0 -2 0 Persson 0 0 even 2
Podein 0 0 even 1 Phillips 0 0 even 0
Pratt 0 0 -1 0 Rachunek 0 1 +1 1
Reid 0 1 +1 0 Redden 0 1 +1 0
Sakic 0 0 even 3 Rivers 0 0 +1 0
Skoula 0 0 -1 3 Roy 0 0 even 1
Tanguay 0 0 -2 0 Yashin 1 1 +1 2
Yelle 0 0 -1 0 Zamuner 0 0 +1 0
Dingman Healthy Forbes Healthy
Parker Healthy York Ankle Injury
Game Story
OTTAWA (Ticker) -- First, the beast of the East. Then, the best
in the West.
One night after defeating the Stanley Cup champions, the Ottawa
Senators posted a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in a
battle of the top teams from each conference.
The Senators took over the top point total in the East on
Wednesday with a 3-2 victory at New Jersey. With confidence on
their side, they scored the first three goals against the best
team in the NHL.
"These games have been a big challenge for us," said Patrick
Lalime, who made 25 saves in his franchise record-setting 23rd
win of the season. "We wanted to show what we're made of and
that we can control our own destiny."
Alexei Yashin and Shawn McEachern each had a goal and an assist
for Ottawa, which has won three straight games to move four
points ahead of the Devils for first place in the East.
"I think as a team we looked forward to these two big games,"
said McEachern, who scored his 200th NHL goal. "To win both is
huge. But we can't look too far forward. It's like the cliche
says -- we really do have to take it one game at a time."
The Senators, who have the fourth-best record in the NHL, easily
handled the league-leading Avalanche, scoring early in each of
the first two periods and building a 3-0 lead on McEachern's
power-play goal midway through the game.
Colorado got on the board when Dan Hinote scored midway through
the third but lost for the fifth time in six games. The
Avalanche, who allowed a pair of breakaway goals, began the
night with an NHL-best 82 points.
Lalime allowed Hinote's goal and nothing else. Playing for the
second straight night, he stopped 25 shots.
"Our game plan was to try to play in their zone," Ottawa coach
Jacques Martin said. "But luckily for us, Patrick had an
outstanding game. He's establishing himself as a No. 1 goalie
in this league."
Daniel Alfredsson opened the scoring with his 13th goal,
sneaking the puck through rookie goaltender David Aebischer's
pads on a breakaway 2:01 into the game.
After holding the Avalanche to four shots in the first, the
Senators scored in the opening minute of the second period as
Yashin blasted his 27th goal past Aebischer from the top of the
right faceoff circle for a 2-0 lead.
Yashin added an assist with 10:03 to play in the period,
slipping a pass from the left boards to McEachern, who rocketed
a one-timer from the high slot by Aebischer.
It was McEachern's 20th goal of the season and his 200th in 650
NHL games. He has 115 goals in 4 1/2 seasons with Ottawa.
"Yeah, that was a lot of fun," McEachern said of the milestone.
"My parents are here tonight, so I was glad it happened."
Yashin extended his points streak to five games. He has five
goals and three assists during that span and 17 goals and 10
assists in the last 17 games.
Hinote ended Lalime's shutout bid with 10:09 to play, banking a
wraparound off the goalie at the left goalpost for his fourth of
the season.
Moments earlier, Lalime made his best save of the night. After
falling to his stomach, he stretched to the left goalpost and
robbed Joe Sakic with the shaft of his stick.
"Lalime played a great game and came through with some big saves
for them. But at the same time, we allowed them to score four
times," Sakic said. "I'd say they deserve the win tonight."
"Tonight was one of my best games," Lalime added. "It was a big
challenge for the whole team and I think everyone responded
well."
Hinote's goal was it for the Avalanche, who have scored fewer
than two just twice in their last 25 games -- both in their past
five contests.
Colorado also has yielded at least four goals three times in its
last four games after doing it just nine times in its first 54.
The Avalanche had scored at least one power-play goal in five
straight games before going 0-for-5 against the Senators. One
of their power plays resulted in an Ottawa goal.
Magnus Arvedson scored shorthanded with 6:39 to play. After
picking up a feed from Mike Fisher, he skated in alone on
Aebischer from beyond center ice and snapped a shot inside the
left post for his 13th goal.