Varlamov, Avalanche blank Lightning
TAMPA, Fla. -- Looking for a stronger effort after a lackluster showing in the previous game, the Colorado Avalanche responded with a 4-0 victory against the previously undefeated Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday at Amalie Arena.
Matt Duchene scored his first two goals of the season and added an assist while Patrick Wiercioch finished with a pair of assists. Carl Soderberg notched his second of the season, Andreas Martinsen scored his first and Semyon Varlamov recorded his 21st career shutout after finishing with 27 saves.
Ben Bishop took the loss for Tampa Bay, stopping 12 shots.
After being outshot 20-6 in the opening period against Washington on Tuesday, Colorado came out sharper against the Lightning and took the lead late in the first period when a bouncing puck jumped over the stick of Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos, allowing Duchene to skate in alone on Bishop. Bishop made the initial save before Duchene was able to smack the rebound with 24.1 seconds left in the period.
The Avalanche would strike again in the final minute of the second period as Duchene got his stick on a shot from Wiercioch for the deflection past Bishop with 51.2 seconds left in the middle frame.
Tampa Bay tried to shake things up by shuffling around the defensive pairings and the line combinations, but the move did not give the desired effect for Tampa Bay. And any hope of overcoming a deficit for the fourth time this season was erased when Joe Colborne sent a puck around the boards that hit a stanchion near the corner with Bishop out of the net and caromed right on to the stick of Martinsen, who fired the puck in to the vacated net at 7:53 of the third period.
Soderberg finished off a 2-on-1 at 12:22 to make it a 4-0 game.
NOTES: Colorado RW Rene Bourque was scratched with a groin injury and is listed as day-to-day. ... Avalanche C Ben Smith returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch against Washington on Tuesday. Smith appeared in his 200th career game. ... Thursday marked the 20th anniversary of the first game played at Amalie Arena. On Oct. 20, 1996, the Lightning defeated the New York Rangers in what was then called the Ice Palace. ... Lightning rookie D Slater Koekkoek was sent to Syracuse of the American Hockey League on Wednesday after he was scratched for the first three games. ... Tampa Bay called up veteran D Matt Taormina, who was scratched. ... Colorado C John Mitchell missed his fourth consecutive game with a hip injury. ... D Eric Gelinas was a healthy scratch for the Avalanche.