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Hejduk celebrates milestone with SO winner as Avs dump Jackets

Mar 23, 2011 - 4:30 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Milan Hejduk, playing in his 900th career game, scored the only goal in the shootout to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Pepsi Center.

Daniel Winnik scored with 3.3 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime, while Matt Duchene tallied twice for the Avalanche, who stopped an eight-game home losing streak and have won back-to-back games for the first time since January 14-18.

Brian Elliott made 29 saves and stopped all three skaters in the shootout to pick up the victory.

R.J. Umberger lit the lamp twice in regulation -- including one of Columbus' two short-handed goals -- but the Blue Jackets lost for the fourth time in five games and sit eight points back of the final Western Conference playoff spot.

Steve Mason made 28 saves, but couldn't stop Hejduk's wrister to open the shootout, which was only made possible thanks a late regulation goal by the hosts.

Skating with two extra bodies in the closing seconds -- due to Jan Hejda's late penalty and an empty net -- Winnik put in a long rebound with 3.3 seconds showing, much to the delight of the home crowd.

"Just getting into overtime was huge. We had to battle back hard," Elliot said. "We have to play the role of spoiler and take pride in that."

Columbus' Rick Nash beat Elliot on a backhand just 2:14 into the game, but Ryan O'Reilly cleaned up a rebound in front with a nifty skate-to-stick exchange near the six-minute mark to tie it.

Columbus went back in front midway through the second when Derek Dorsett hustled for a loose puck in the offensive zone and chipped a pass to Derek MacKenzie for a short-handed tally.

The Blue Jackets scored again with a man down seven minutes into the third. Umberger took the remnants of a blocked shot and went from one end of the ice to the other, using a fake at the left circle to deke a defender before beating Elliot up high for a 3-1 lead.

Duchene got one back less than a minute later, fighting off defender in the low slot and stuffing home his 24th goal of the year, then tied it with 5:24 remaining by re-directing Mark Olver's pass through Mason's five-hole.

"They did not quit; they are young and hungry," Umberger said of the Avs. "I [tip] my hat to them."

Umberger did most of the work for his second goal, as he stick-handled past a defender on the boards, came in along the slot and slid the puck through Elliot's legs with 3:05 to play.

Game Notes

Hejduk became the first player to log all 900 games with the Avs since their relocation from Quebec to Colorado...Duchene has four goals and four assists in his last five games...The Avalanche snapped an 0-9-1 skid on Saturday with a 3-2 shootout victory in Edmonton...Columbus had six shots in overtime, twice as many as the Avs.