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'Soda' pops in 3, losing streak ends

January 15, 2019, 4:48 PM ET [0 Comments]
Rick Sadowski
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • RSSArchiveCONTACT
One win doesn’t end a slump, but it’s a start.

Who would’ve thought that Carl Soderberg, the silent Swede, would be the star of the game with a highlight reel shorthanded goal and the first hat trick of his six-year NHL career?

A 6-3 win in Toronto on Monday ended the Avalanche’s three-game losing streak. It was their second win in an 11-game stretch (2-7-2) heading into Wednesday’s road trip finale in Ottawa.

"I do think the effort has been there the last four or five games,” captain Gabriel Landeskog told reporters. “But when you're going through something like this, it seems like lately we need the perfect game to win, and within the perfect game you need individual efforts here and there.

“Guys stepped up and hopefully we can turn the page, move on to Ottawa and look to get another one.”

The Avalanche will play Los Angeles, Nashville and Minnesota at the Pepsi Center after returning home before the NHL All-Star break, followed by the bye week (it’s actually six days) that is built into every team’s schedule at one point.

With a 21-17-8 record and 50 points, they’re sitting in the first wild card playoff spot in the Western Conference, three points ahead of second wild card Minnesota and three other teams – Edmonton, Anaheim and Vancouver – in a jam-packed conference race.

Defeating the Senators is crucial. It would salvage the trip and give the Avalanche some much-needed confidence and momentum heading into the homestand.

Coach Jared Bednar changed three line combinations, keeping the top unit intact, and is expected to use the same lineup on Wednesday. Whether Semyon Varlamov starts again won’t be known until the morning skate; he made 17 saves against the Maple Leafs.

Soderberg moved to the second line with Colin Wilson and J.T. Compher, with Alexander Kerfoot dropping to the third line with Matt Nieto and Matt Calvert. Tyson Jost was on the fourth line with Sheldon Dries and Sven Andrighetto.

"I thought all four lines played well and created lots of scoring chances," Soderberg told reporters. "We outshot them pretty good the first two periods and then they had a little push in the third. At the same time, I think we came back stronger."

Trailing 2-0 in the second period, the Avalanche rallied to grab a 3-2 lead. After Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen scored to make it 2-2, Soderberg skated into the Toronto end, maneuvered the puck away from Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner and went to the net, scoring while falling to the ice.

Soderberg's linemates set him up for the go-ahead goal. Wilson gained possession behind the net and got it to Compher, who fed Soderberg in the left circle.

Calvert made it 5-3 with an empty-net goal and Soderberg followed with another to complete the hat trick, scoring from deep in his own end.

“He had a great game, all around, both sides of the puck," Bednar said.

Soderberg has 15 goals and needs one to match his career high. He had 16 as a rookie with Boston in 2013-14 and again last season.

Defenseman Nikita Zadorov returned after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury and played 20:05. He had four shots, seven hits and took two minor penalties.



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