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Tyson Barrie scored the game-winning goal and the Avs moved themselves into a tie with Nashville at 45 points in the standings.
Recent Nashville acquisition Ryan Johansen wasted no time making his presence felt for the Predators. He scored on his very first shot for the team 2:35 into the 1st Period after a Cody McLeod penalty. That score would hold for more than twelve minutes until Jarome Iginla scored on an Avalanche power play of their own. That brings his career total to 601, which ties him with longtime Oiler and brief Avalanche forward Jari Kurri. The next milestone in reach is Dino Ciccarelli at 608.
The Avs would strike again before the period ended. Jack Skille, he who is perpetually shot out of a cannon, made a great play behind to the net and dished to a crashing McLeod who beat Shea Weber and slid the puck past Pekke Rinne to put Colorado up 2-1.
Nashville, however, would score again early in the second on a Ryan Ellis snipe, once again bringing the score into a tie. Gabriel Landeskog would induce yet another lead change at the 7:40 mark off a slick Carl Soderberg pass on an odd-man rush to make the game 3-2. But the scoring wouldn't stop there. Filip Forsberg netted his 11th of the year after a number of failed clears by a tired Avalanche defense.
The 3rd Period would bring us the most disciplined defensive hockey of the game. It wasn't until Miikka Saoamaki hooked Alex Tanguay on a breakaway and gave Colorado a man-advantage that they first real scoring opportunity presented itself. The ensuing power play didn't start off terribly well, but the puck eventually fell to the red-hot Tyson Barrie and he ripped a wrister past Rinne to give the Avs a 4-3 with 9:00 remaining.
Nashville would try their utmost to tie the game (again), even pulling their goalie for the final 2:00, but the next score would from Jack Skille on an empty net to seal the game 5-3.