• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

McLean's shootout goal lifts Avalanche over Canucks

Mar 26, 2007 - 6:23 AM VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Ticker) -- Brett McLean scored two goals in regulation for the Colorado Avalanche, but his third won them the game.

McLean scored the lone goal of the shootout as the Avalanche posted a crucial 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

"We were definitely a desperate team tonight," McLean said. "We have to bring that to every game now and do the things that we've done to get us into this playoff race. If we keep playing like that, we are confident that we can keep making up ground."

Vancouver's Henrik Sedin knew the Avalanche were desperate and thought his club would have been also.

"We should have been desperate too," he said. "We had a chance to wrap up a playoff spot tonight. We knew they wouldn't give up. They were desperate and they have good forwards. If you don't play desperate enough, you're not going to win."

Captain Joe Sakic scored twice for the Avalanche (39-29-7), who moved within five points of Calgary (40-25-10) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

McLean scored the decisive goal in the first round of the bonus format, when he snapped a shot off the goalpost past goaltender Roberto Luongo.

"I guess it was just third time lucky," McLean said. "I had a couple great chances in the third period, an open net even. I was finally able to get the winner in the shootout."

Jose Theodore, who replaced Peter Budaj late in the first period, preserved the paramount triumph by denying Daniel Sedin with a pad save.

"The last couple days, we've been practicing that (shootouts), so I felt pretty comfortable in the shootout," Theodore said. "If you look at the three shots, there wasn't a lot there and my timing was pretty good. I feel pretty confident when we get into shootouts."

Taylor Pyatt scored twice and Sedin had a goal and an assist for the Canucks (45-23-7), who salvaged a point and moved into a first-place tie with Minnesota (45-24-7) in the Northwest Division.

Sakic has 608 career goals, tying him with Dino Ciccarelli for 13th-place on the all-time goals list.

The center tied the game, 4-4, midway through the third period when he took Andrew Brunette's pass in the slot and snapped the puck past Luongo. Brunette had two assists and has assists in nine straight games.

The All-Star center also recorded his 1,579th point, tying him with Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque for ninth on the all-time points list.

"It's an honor to be with those guys," Sakic lead. "But there's much more important stuff to worry about right now, and that's for us to make the playoffs."

Sakic also continued his career-long success against the Canucks. He has 30 goals and 62 assists for 92 points in 71 games against them.

"I always enjoy playing against them, and it (Vancouver) is definitely one of the best places to play, for me anyways, because I'm coming home," he said.