Granlund's shootout goal lifts Canucks over Avalanche
DENVER -- Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped all three Colorado Avalanche attempts in the shootout, Marcus Granlund got the only goal and the Canucks beat the Avalanche 3-2 on Saturday night.
Loui Eriksson and Alexandre Burrows scored in regulation for Vancouver and Markstrom finished with 32 saves. He stopped Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Matt Duchene to give the Canucks their fifth win in nine games.
Jarome Iginla and Mikhail Grigorenko scored for the Avalanche (9-10-1) and Calvin Pickard had 29 saves.
Both teams had several chances to end it overtime. Vancouver (9-11-2) got a power play in the final 20 seconds but couldn't score.
Granlund beat Pickard on Vancouver's first attempt of the shootout.
It was Colorado's first loss after regulation this season.
Burrows' goal 1:26 into the third period gave the Canucks a 2-1 lead but Iginla tied it at 3:56 with his third of the season. It was Iginla's first goal in 12 games.
The Canucks played most of the game with five defensemen after Alexander Edler left with an upper-body injury in the first period. Edler blocked Soderberg's shot with his hand and headed to the locker room. He did not return.
Edler had 3:59 of ice time in five shifts before departing.
Eriksson gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal when he beat Pickard high on the short side 3:46 into the game. It was his fifth on the season and third goal in four games.
Grigorenko tied it midway through the second period. After Carl Soderberg put a backhander on net, Grigorenko's initial shot went off Markstrom, and then he batted his rebound out of the air for his second goal of the season.
The Avalanche got a scare 22 seconds into the second period when MacKinnon lost an edge and slammed his back into the boards. He was on the ice for a few minutes but skated to the bench. He didn't miss a shift.
NOTES: Colorado G Semyon Varlamov's upper-body injury kept him out of Saturday's game but it is not expected to be a long-term situation. Coach Jared Bednar said he hoped Varlamov would return in the next few days. The Avalanche recalled Spencer Martin from San Antonio to serve as Calvin Pickard's backup. ... Vancouver LW Sven Baertschi missed his second straight game with a foot injury. He took a shot off his skate in Wednesday's game in Arizona. ... Avalanche LW Gabriel Landeskog missed his fifth straight game with a lower-body injury. Landeskog was scheduled to be on the ice for the morning skate Saturday but did not participate. ... The Canucks sent D Alex Biega to Utica of the AHL on a conditioning assignment.