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Canucks keep rolling in win over Avs

Jan 3, 2011 - 7:59 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Roberto Luongo stopped 31 shots and the Vancouver Canucks held on to beat the Colorado Avalanche, 2-1, at Pepsi Center.

Alexandre Bolduc and Mason Raymond scored for the Canucks, who extended their lead in the Northwest Division to eight points over the Avalanche.

Vancouver has won have five straight and improved to 14-1-2 over its last 17 games.

Paul Stastny lit the lamp in the third period for Colorado, which fell to 1-4-1 since a six-game winning streak from December 10-19. Craig Anderson made 27 saves in defeat.

"I think every time we play these guys it's always just a matter of inches," Stastny said. "One of our shots almost goes in and one of theirs doesn't, then it's a whole different game and we bring it to overtime."

Raymond jumped on a loose puck in the slot and fired it past Anderson to give the Canucks a two-goal lead at the 3:11 mark of the third period.

Stastny put Colorado on the board by chipping the puck over Luongo with 6:25 remaining in regulation. The Avalanche continued to pepper the Vancouver netminder down the stretch, but couldn't come up with an equalizer.

"I don't know how much longer I could have lasted," Luongo said of playing at high altitude. "They were throwing everything at the net and we were doing a good job tying up sticks so they couldn't get any rebounds."

Bolduc's first NHL goal staked Vancouver to a 1-0 lead with 1:45 remaining in the first period. Bolduc took a feed from Tanner Glass on an odd-man rush and snapped a wrister from the left circle through Anderson's pads. The tally came three seconds after a hooking penalty to Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa had expired.

Game Notes

Stastny recorded his 300th career point...Vancouver has won all four meetings this season...The Canucks improved their divisional record to 9-1-0...The Avalanche opened a five-game homestand.