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Wolski, Hejduk star in shootout for Avalanche

Jan 7, 2007 - 6:03 AM ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- Milan Hejduk has been finding the net with regularity of late for the Colorado Avalanche.

Hejduk's goal in the fourth round of the shootout lifted the Avalanche to their third straight victory, a 2-1 triumph over the Minnesota Wild.

After scoring in consecutive games in mid-December, Hejduk went six straight contests without a goal. But the former Maurice Richard Trophy winner is regaining his touch, tallying in each of his previous two games before netting the decisive goal in the shootout Saturday.

Rookie Wojtek Wolski and Pavol Demitra traded goals in the first round before Minnesota's Manny Fernandez and Colorado's Peter Budaj combined to deny the next four shooters. But Hejduk came through on his attempt, making several dekes before lifting a backhander past Fernandez for a 2-1 edge.

"I didn't think much there," Hejduk said. "I tried to fake high glove and went to my backhand. You don't think in those situations, you just see where the goalie goes and you try to go the other way. My first thought was to go to the forehand, but he was kind of there, so I went to the backhand."

"What a great play," Colorado coach Joel Quenneville said. "It's good for his confidence, too. In that area there, he's been a little snake-bitten. But he's coming off a couple goals in a row in the last two games. I don't know if that counts, but certainly it is very meaningful for us."

On the last chance for the Wild, Pierre-Marc Bouchard failed to convert against Budaj, hitting the crossbar and clinching the win for the Avalanche.

"It went straight off the crossbar," Budaj said. "Thank God it didn't go in. He made a good shot. It didn't go in, so a big two points for us."

Wolski's shootout goal was of highlight-reel quality as the 20-year-old Pole deked Fernandez to the ice before sliding the puck around the netminder with one hand.

Rookie defenseman Kyle Cumiskey scored his first career goal in regulation and Budaj made 24 saves for Colorado, which improved to 3-0-1 against Minnesota this season.

"Rock solid," Quenneville said of Budaj. "That first period, we weren't as sharp as we needed to be. They came at us pretty hard and Peter kept us in the hockey game. Only down one, we worked ourselves back into it, but he was the real reason we won tonight."

Mikko Koivu tallied for the Wild, who fell to 17-4-2 at home and 12-3 beyond regulation.

"We had no excuse," Fernandez said. "They just came from a game last night. I guess we gave it all we had."

With 98 seconds remaining in the first period, Mark Parrish skated down the left side and flipped a pass to Koivu, who shot it from the faceoff circle before it hit the ice and beat Budaj for his first goal in seven games and a 1-0 lead.

However, the Avalanche drew even just 4:16 into the middle session, when Cumiskey chipped the puck past Fernandez from the doorstep for his first tally in three career games.

"He had another nice game," Quenneville said of the 20-year-old Cumiskey. "He got our attention in training camp and has played on that same level since he's been inserted into the lineup. It was a great pass by (Andrew Brunette) and a good finish by the kid. I think he'll be growing up, scoring some big goals in this league."

Minnesota has lost two straight at home after winning its previous eight at Xcel Energy Center. Saturday's setback concluded a 3-1-1 homestand.

"We've got seven points in five games on this homestand," Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said. "I will take that, especially against the teams we have played. We need to carry that on the road."

Star right wing Marian Gaborik returned to the lineup for Minnesota after missing 34 games with a strained groin.

"It's good to be back," said Gaborik, who played just under 13 minutes. "Even though we lost, we had some chances. But I'm happy to be back. It will get better and better."