Big win for the Avalanche Saturday as goalie Semyon Varlamov blanked the Blues 4-0 with 31 saves to match Patrick Roy's single-season franchise record with his 40th win.
The Avalanche (50-21-6, 106 points) regained a three-point lead over Chicago (44-19-15, 103 points) with one game in hand in the race for second place in the Central Division.
Like the Avalanche, the first-place Blues (52-18-7, 111 points) have five games remaining. It could get very interesting if the Avalanche can defeat Pittsburgh at the Pepsi Center on Sunday and if Chicago can knock off St. Louis at home in regulation.
The Avalanche certainly didn't get intimidated by the Blues after losing the first three games by a combined score of 13-5. Actually, the Avalanche played pretty well in the previous meeting, a 2-1 Blues win on March 8.
Paul Stastny, Nathan MacKinnon and Nick Holden scored second-period goals. Stastny (power play) and MacKinnon knocked in rebounds by goalie Ryan Miller (25 saves) and Holden was credited with his 10th goal despite kicking the puck in the crease because the Blues' Steve Ott got his stick on it before it went across the goal line. Ryan O'Reilly scored a power-play goal late in the third.
Stastny and MacKinnon also added an assist as the Avalanche matched its season high with its sixth consecutive win.
"It was a good win for us," Roy told reporters after the game. "We played well all around. Our power play was sharp, our penalty killing was rock solid, our goaltender was phenomenal again. Five-on-five, D-zone coverage, O-zone play, neutral zone ... I just felt we dominated them. We definitely were the best team on the ice."
The game turned chippy in the third period, when the Blues were penalized 16 times totaling 91 minutes. The Avalanche took 14 penalties for 68 minutes overall -- eight penalties for 56 minutes in the third. The Blues had 20 penalties for 99 minutes overall, including a major cross-checking penalty and game misconduct to Brenden Morrow, and 10-minute misconduct penalties to four other Blues players. Five Avalanche players were given 10-minute misconducts.
Roy was particularly upset with David Backes for piling on MacKinnon at 14:43 of the third period after the two exchanged bumps while skating down the ice. MacKinnon was assessed a roughing minor while Backes was given roughing and cross-checking minors, and a 10-minute misconduct.
"To me, it's gutless from Backes," Roy said. "It shows what kind of leader he is. If you're going after an 18-year-old, I mean, if he could (have gone) after (Max) Talbot in the first ... not very impressed, not very impressed. Gutless in my opinion."
Said Backes to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "He's entitled to his opinion. That's OK."
Said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock: "I've done my commenting on him. He can say whatever he wants. He always has something to say after every game."
The Blues were upset when Avalanche forward Patrick Bordeleau delivered a hard check against defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk against the boards. Shattenkirk's stick came up and he was cut in the face.
"Shattenkirk hurt himself with his own stick," Roy said. "His own stick hit him in the nose and he was bleeding. He made a pretty big act. Unfortunately, it was his stick."
With 40 wins, Varlamov has tied Roys's franchise record set in 2000-01, when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup for the second time. Varlamov has been in goal for all six wins during the Avalanche's streak, and he's won nine of his past 11 decisions.
"I'm very happy. Records are there to be broken," Roy said. "I'm just happy to be part of it. Varly has been our best player, he's been phenomenal for us from the get-go. Of course it's biased a bit by me, but he deserves to be part of the Hart Trophy (consideration)."