Basketball Betting

Stastny and Avs down Calgary

Hockey Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Stastny scored two power-play goals during a high-powered first period and Peter Budaj made 33 saves, as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Calgary Flames, 4-3, at Pepsi Center.

Milan Hejduk tallied a goal and an assist while Marek Svatos' goal early in the third period provided the difference for Colorado, which is now 4-4 in its last eight games overall.

Tony Amonte, Dion Phaneuf and Kristin Huselius scored for Calgary, which finished its consecutive three-game set against the Avalanche 1-2 after a split in the two games in Calgary last Thursday and Saturday. Miikka Kiprusoff allowed four goals on 32 shots for the Flames, who will play in Phoenix on Thursday before a three-game homestand.

The high-octane first period concluded with five total goals and a 3-2 Colorado lead.

Stastny started the scoring 7:19 into the stanza. Marcus Nilson was whistled for hooking and the Avalanche went to work with the extra skater. Near the conclusion of the two-minute minor, Hejduk alertly kept the puck inside the offensive zone at the left point and sent it to Joe Sakic along the near-side half-wall. Sakic then passed to Andrew Brunette along the goal line and Brunette centered it for a successful redirection by Stastny at the top of the crease.

"They had a good power play tonight," said Flames forward Jarome Iginla. "The first period was bad - their power play gave them confidence."

After Amonte's ninth goal tied the contest over two minutes later, another power-play goal gave the Avs a 2-1 lead. Moments after a 5-on-3 advantage expired, Hejduk poked the puck toward the goal mouth from near the left post. With Kiprusoff out of position and Flames defenseman Robyn Regehr without a stick, Stastny was able to put home the loose puck from the opposite post with 6:05 to play.

Calgary, though, answered with a power-play goal of its own. With Brad Richardson in the box, Phaneuf corralled an Edmonton clearing attempt at the right point, drifted along the blue line and, from the centerpoint, released a wrist shot that beat Budaj with the assistance of a screen in front by Iginla at 18:01.

The see-saw battle continued when Hejduk's 22nd goal with 54 seconds remaining in the opening stanza restored the Avs lead. The veteran forward stole the puck from Calgary's Matthew Lombardi in the neutral zone, nicely split two defenders and lit the lamp with a backhander from inside the left circle.

"I tried to just put it on net with a backhand, and I was surprised that it went in," said Hejduk.

The lone goal of the middle session tied the contest. The visitors needed only 15 seconds of power-play time to find the back of the cage after an interference minor was called on Ossi Vaananen. Phaneuf and Iginla played catch along the left side before Iginla's cross-ice pass from along the outer rim of the circle found the stick of Huselius for an easy one-timer from the right side past a sliding Budaj at the 5:34 mark.

Despite a 16-5 shots-on-goal advantage for Calgary in the third period, the only goal of the frame was also the decisive one at 1:24. From his own blue line, Colorado defenseman John-Michael Liles sent a perfect pass through the neutral zone for Svatos, who gained control at the far blue line, skated in on a partial breakaway down the right side and beat Kiprusoff with a wrist shot.

Game Notes

Earlier Tuesday, the Avalanche learned that defenseman Jordan Leopold will be sidelined approximately four weeks with a fractured wrist. Leopold suffered the injury during Colorado's 7-5 victory over these Flames on Saturday...Stastny and Sakic each extended their point-scoring streaks to nine games...The Avs improved to 17-13-3 at home this season...The Flames finished 3-for-5 on the power play, while the Flames were 2-for-6 with the extra skater...Attendance was 17,623.