HIGHLIGHTS

GAME RUNDOWN

There was bound to be some awkward moments during Saturday’s matinee action as the Colorado Avalanche welcomed in the Nashville Predators and their newest forward, Cody McLeod, to the Pepsi Center. McLeod was traded to Nashville yesterday after ten seasons in Colorado and the Preds graciously inserted him into the starting lineup.

The first TV timeout of the game featured a montage thanking McLeod for his time with the team and the pugilist received a heartfelt standing ovation from the crowd on hand. From then on, it was business.

For once, business was good for the Avalanche early on as they got a small lead in shots and even received the fabled puck luck that has victimized them so much this year. Following a crafty cycling of the puck by linemates Matt Duchene and Matt Nieto, Gabriel Landeskog made a bit of his own luck as he threw the puck at the front of the next from behind the goal line and it deflected off goaltender Pekka Rinne’s skate and into the net for a 1-0 Colorado lead.

Despite ultimately being outshot 15-8, the Avalanche carried their one-goal lead into the second period as their netminder, Semyon Varlamov, stood tall and turned away a litany of soft chances as the Avs defense limited to Nashville to just three scoring chances in the first.

The second period featured plenty of fireworks asMcLeod continued making his impact felt as he fought Jarome Iginla in a classic staged fight. On the faceoff following the tussle, Mikhail Grigorenko won the puck cleanly back to Francois Beauchemin who actually put one on goal and Rinne did not get in front of it and just like that it was 2-0 in favor of Colorado, their first two-goal lead in over a month.

Upon leaving the purgatory of the penalty box, McLeod continued changing the game as he broke in behind Eric Gelinas and took a centering pass from Harry Zolnierczyk and tapped it behind Varlamov for his first goal as a Predator and just his second of the season to cut the lead to 2-1.

Later in the period, Rene Bourque would illegally board Viktor Arvidsson in such a blatant and violent manner that he received a five-minute major and game misconduct, ending his afternoon early and putting Nashville on a three-minute power play after a Ryan Ellis penalty on the same play resulted in two minutes of four-on-four. The Avalanche successfully killed the extended penalty and took a 2-1 lead into the third period.

The third period was Nashville’s early as a broken play in the Nashville zone led to a slow-developing breakaway for Mike Fisher but he tracked down the puck and walked in on Varlamov and beat him five hole to tie the game just five minutes into the final frame.

The Predators weren’t finished as they managed a goal of their own off a won faceoff as Filip Forsberg scored his customary goal against the Avalanche at 8:06 and just like that a 2-1 Avalanche lead had evaporated and become 3-2 Nashville.

Despite a late surge, including a goal by the Avalanche that was waved off under the guise the puck had been frozen by Rinne, the game remained in Nashville’s favor until the final horn sounded.

THREE STARS

1. Pekka Rinna
2. Gabriel Landeskog
3. Cody McLeod

PLAY OF THE GAME

The McLeod goal was a picture perfect example of how things have gone this season. Lost and predominantly without use for Colorado this year, McLeod made the kind of play he hadn’t all year and the carefree defense of Eric Gelinas allowed the Predators to cut the lead in half.

TURNING POINT

The disallowed goal at the end was the wrong one as the puck was still loose and likely cost the Avalanche at least a point. Even though their season is already lost, it’s still a team that legitimately tied the game late and had that taken from them on a judgment call.

BY THE NUMBERS

WHAT’S NEXT

Colorado’s next game sees the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Pepsi Center Tuesday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time.