• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Hejduk scores overtime winner for Avalanche

Mar 19, 2007 - 4:04 AM DENVER (Ticker) -- Milan Hejduk and Joe Sakic kept the Colorado Avalanche's playoff hopes alive in an overtime thiller.

Hejduk netted the game-winner just 19 seconds into the extra session as the Avalanche posted a 4-3 triumph over the San Jose Sharks. It the 45th game winning goal of Hedjuk's career.

Hejduk found the puck in the right circle and slipped a wrist shot over the shoulder of goaltender Evgeni Nabokov for the clincher. Joe Sakic collected four assists for Colorado, which is 8-0-1 in March.

"We had a pretty good breakout there," Hedjuk said. "Joe gave it to me on the right wing. I skated down there, tried a fake shot a little bit. Nabokov went down, I went around him (Curtis Brown) and shot short side, high glove, and it went in."

"Milan took it down the side and roofed it," Sakic said. "He's pretty amazing when he gets any opportunity to get to the net."

Andrew Burnette forged a 3-3 tie with 6:46 remaining in the third period. It was his 25th goal of the season.

"I thought halfway through the second, we started taking over the game," Burnette said. "We haven't played that many games over the last week. We're rested, so I thought we had a lot of energy in that third period. I think we hung in there."

San Jose manage to cool off first-year standout Paul Stastny, who had his league-record rookie point streak snapped at 20. It was the second-longest streak in franchise history.

"We just have to keep building off of this," Sakic said. "I thought we played pretty solid the first two periods. Coming from behind, it just shows that this team is playing with a lot of confidence right now. This club is coming together. ... We know we have to win a lot of hockey games to give ourselves a chance. We're doing what it takes right now."

With the win, the Avalanche (37-29-6) moved within four points of eighth-place Calgary (37-25-10) in the Western Conference.

"This is something we have not been able to do the whole season long," Hedjuk said. "Winning hockey games is fun and we'll try to chase down Calgary. We'll see what happens.

"This was a huge two points for us, especially when Calgary lost last night. I thought it was a big game and a big win. Now we need a big road trip."

Bill Guerin netted his 33rd goal and Joe Thornton and Milan Michalek added tallies for the Sharks, who are 6-0-2 in their last eight games.

"The D had a lot of pressure on them and our forwards," San Jose coach Ron Wilson said, "Their effort wasn't what we need if we want to consider ourselves an elite playoff team. We can't have as many spectators as we had in a game like this."