Marleau kicks Avs in face with four-goal third period

HIGHLIGHTS

GAME RUNDOWN

The Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks just played two days ago in San Jose’s barn and tonight they completed the home-and-home by running it back at the Pepsi Center. Avalanche forward Matt Duchene missed this tilt as a late scratch thanks to what the team said was an illness but the Avalanche still came out flying.

A fast-paced start in the first period gave way to a more leveled off performance from each team as the period wore on and the teams adjusted to each other more and more. The Sharks struck first tonight when they won an offensive zone faceoff, cycled the puck around to defenseman/forward/superhuman Brent Burns, whose shot beat goaltender Spencer Martin, making his second NHL start. The shot was one Martin should have had but credit to Burns for making a great shot to move San Jose ahead 1-0 after the first period.

The Avalanche, profusely putrid at home on the power play this season, finally capitalized on the man-advantage halfway through a snoozer of a second period. Mikhail Grigorenko took a pass from Nikita Zadorov, waited out the defense, found a passing lane and hit Jarome Iginla for the one-timer. Just like that, tie game and two of the major pieces from the Ryan O’Reilly trade were feeling good about themselves. Your move, Buffalo.

The third period started out with some major fireworks after a second period that saw each team put just four shots on goal as Joe Colborne was denied on a wraparound chance and just moments later Patrick Marleau tipped a Marc-Edouard Vlasic shot past Martin to give San Jose the 2-1 lead with about 17 minutes remaining in the game.

Colorado’s bad luck reared its head when Marleau wrapped a puck around the net and despite Martin seeming to have played the situation perfectly, the puck found its way to the back of the net and just six minutes into the third period a 1-1 game was suddenly 3-1 in favor of San Jose.

Colorado had a chance to get back into it when Marleau took a Hooking penalty but instead of cashing in, the Avalanche power play ended just in time to give Marleau an easy two-on-one with Joe Pavelski and Marleau buried his third of the period, giving him the natural hat trick and three goals in just over ten minutes.

The Avalanche actually caught a break at 11:57 of the period when Zadorov scored his first goal of the season on a play when it appeared Andreas Martinsen might have interfered with Sharks goaltender Martin Jones. The goal was reviewed and ultimately allowed and Zadorov had a two-point night and the Avs cut the deficit to 4-2.

Marleau tacked on a fourth goal on a breakaway late in the third just to further rub salt in the wound. It was his first career four-goal game.

THREE STARS

1. Patrick Marleau
2. Brent Burns
3. Logan Couture

PLAY OF THE GAME

Iginla’s goal was something the Avalanche were relying on coming into this season, often gearing their power play around the shot of a 600-goal scorer. It’s been too rarely seen on the power play, and Avalanche as a whole, to call it a success but when it works, as it did tonight, it sure is beautiful.

TURNING POINT

Marleau’s first goal at the start of the third period took a tied game and put Colorado behind the eight ball…again.

BY THE NUMBERS

WHAT’S NEXT

Colorado continues its short home stand with its final game before the All-Star break when they host the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. local time.