DENVER — Alexandar Georgiev had 26 saves through overtime and stopped two more in the shootout to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 1-0 win over the New York Islanders on Monday night.
Evan Rodrigues beat Ilya Sororkin with a backhander for the only goal in the shootout, spoiling a 46-save effort for the Islanders' goaltender. Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen had a career-high 10 shots on goal.
The shutout was Georgiev's second of the season and 10th of his career.
New York wrapped up the Western Conference portion of its five-game road trip, which wraps up at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers on Thursday.
The playoff-like matchup was in contrast to the teams’ first meeting, a 5-4 home win for the Islanders on Oct. 29.
Martin Kaut, recalled from Colorado of the AHL earlier Monday, nearly scored on the Avalanche’s first power-play chance, early in the second period. Though Colorado didn’t score on the man advantage, the momentum shifted after that.
The Avalanche had a second opportunity midway through the second when Zach Parise went off for tripping. Colorado had three quality shots on Sorokin but he came up with big saves.
The Avalanche outshot New York 15-7 in the second and continued to carry the play in the third. Val Nichushkin and Rodrigues had prime chances midway through the period that Sorokin turned away.
Colorado forward Andrew Cogliano went to the locker room late in the third period after hitting the boards in the New York zone. Cogliano’s right skate got tangled with Parise’s left skate and he went into the boards with his right shoulder.
NOTES
The Avalanche acquired F Denis Malgin from Toronto in exchange for F Dryden Hunt. ... New York G Semyon Varlamov is day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered in the third period of Saturday’s 5-2 win at Vegas. ... Colorado's Kurtis MacDermid returned to the lineup after missing 16 games with a lower-body injury.
UP NEXT
Islanders: At the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
Avalanche: Host Montreal on Wednesday night.
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