Predators 6, Avalanche 4
DENVER -- Center Colin Wilson scored two goals and added two assists and left winger Viktor Stalberg scored a goal and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 6-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night.
The Avalanche (12-2) who fell a game short of making NHL history. Colorado was trying to match the 2007-08 Ottawa Senators and set a franchise record for the best 14-game start in league history.
Colorado's run at NHL history was spoiled by a porous defense and the opportunistic Predators, who took advantage of a rare poor outing by goaltender Semyon Varlamov. Varlamov allowed a season-high five goals on 27 shots.
Colorado pulled Varlamov for an extra skater with over a minute left and left winger Gabriel Bourque scored into the empty net.
Goalie Carter Hutton had 24 saves for Nashville.
The Avalanche trailed 4-2 in the second when they rallied to tie it. Center Paul Stastny got one back with 6:23 left in the period, and center Matt Duchene tied it with his 10th of the season 4:23 into the third.
The Predators (8-5-2) had taken the lead on goals from center Paul Gaustad and Wilson early in the second.
The game got heated with 2:27 left in the first period when Colorado left winger Jamie McGinn left his feet to hit Nashville rookie defenseman Seth Jones. Predators left winger Gabriel Bourque went after McGinn and knocked him to the ice before officials stepped in.
Jones lay on the ice for a few moments before skating to the bench. He returned later in the period.
McGinn's hit put the Predators on a power play, and they cashed in when center Craig Smith scored from the slot with 56 seconds left in the first to give Nashville a 2-1 lead.
The teams traded goals earlier in the first. Stalberg one-timed a pass from Wilson to give Nashville a 1-0 lead with 6:48 left. Colorado answered two minutes later when left winger P.A. Parenteau finished an odd-man rush with Duchene.
NOTES: Colorado LW Alex Tanguay will miss two weeks with a knee injury. Tanguay was injured in the second period of Saturday's 4-1 win over Montreal and didn't return. ... Nashville C Mike Fisher missed his first game with a lower-body injury and C Matt Hendricks missed his second game with an upper-body injury. Fisher and Hendricks are considered day-to-day. ... Avalanche LW Jamie McGinn returned to the lineup after missing three games due to a knee injury. D Nick Holden, who played forward in McGinn's absence, was a healthy scratch. ... The Avalanche allowed a power-play goal for the second straight game.
