Avalanche 4, Maple Leafs 3 (SO)
Avalanche 4, Maple Leafs 3 (SO): Matt Duchene and Alex Tanguay each scored in regulation before converting in the shootout as host Colorado halted its three-game winless drought.
Defenseman Nick Holden scored his first goal of the season to help lift the Avalanche to only their fourth victory in 15 games (4-6-5) in a contest that featured a harrowing fall in the first period by Toronto forward Daniel Winnik, who lost consciousness but avoided serious injury as he was walking around the locker room during intermission. Reto Berra turned aside 35 shots and Nathan MacKinnon also scored in the bonus format for Colorado, which had been held to two goals or fewer in five of its previous six games.
Phil Kessel scored a goal and added an assist on Richard Panik's tying tally late in regulation for the Maple Leafs, who dropped their second in a row following a three-game winning streak. Tyler Bozak scored on the power play, Panik also notched an assist and Jonathan Bernier made 31 saves for Toronto, which dipped to 1-6-1 when allowing the first goal.
Ryan O'Reilly stole the puck from Toronto defenseman Stuart Percy and set up the go-ahead tally by Duchene, who shot wide but collected the puck and beat Bernier on a wraparound at 11:45 of the third. The Maple Leafs got the equalizer with 76 seconds to play in regulation, when Panik accepted a feed from Mike Santorelli and buried a shot from the slot into the far corner of the net.
Bozak's power-play goal at 4:43 of the second put the Maple Leafs ahead 2-1, but Tanguay answered exactly one minute later with his fifth goal. Holden opened the scoring 31 seconds into the contest with a snap shot into an open net from the left side, but Kessel batted a puck out of mid-air to tie it with 3:40 left in the first period.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Winnik was hurt when he fell awkwardly on the back of his head and neck after an open-ice check by Colorado D Jan Hejda. Winnik was motionless as medical personnel rushed onto the ice to attend to him before being taken off on a stretcher. ... O'Reilly notched his 200th career point with his assist on Duchene's tally. ... Maple Leafs D Jake Gardiner left the game in the first period with a left knee injury after blocking a shot.