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Theodore posts shutout as Avalanche defeat Lightning

Jan 16, 2008 - 4:30 AM TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- The Colorado Avalanche looked to Jose Theodore to help them close out a road trip in style.

Theodore posted his first shutout of the season, making 32 saves, as the Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-0, on Tuesday.

Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist and defenseman Jeff Finger and Milan Hejduk also scored for Colorado, which finished its five-game road trip with three straight wins.

Tampa Bay, which was shut out for the first at home and only the second this season, has dropped five straight here.

"The fans shouldn't have booed us, they should have thrown (crap) at us," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "I would have thrown (crap) at us. This is the most embarrassed I've ever been."

It was the 24th career shutout for Theodore, who won the Hart and Vezina trophies for Montreal in 2002. The 11-year veteran knocked away 10 shots in the first two periods before making 22 saves in the final session.

"Every time you enter a game, you always think about shutouts," Theodore said. "You want the win, but when you look back, it's always a bonus. A shutout really takes a team effort.

"The Lightning are a really skilled offensive team and they only had 10 shots after two periods. They came out (in the third) and played desperation hockey, but we didn't panic."

Theodore registered his first shutout since blanking Carolina on February 28, 2004.

"Jose's been unbelievable," Stastny said. "Theo was solid in net and was seeing the puck pretty good."

Colorado coach Joel Quenneville was also impressed.

"I thought he was rock solid," Quenneville said. "He challenged well, he was up on top of the crease. In the third, he made several key stops and he looks real sharp in this last stretch of games. Tonight was as good as we've seen him."

Colorado gave Theodore all the scoring he needed in the second period when Finger's shot from the left circle deflected off Tampa Bay blue-liner Brad Lukowich past goaltender Karri Ramo, giving the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at the 14:30 mark.

Stastny increased the lead by beating Ramo to the stick side with a rebound with 3:33 remaining in the second for a 2-0 advantage. Both goals were scored on the power play.

"Right now, we're shooting from the point and I think simplifying (the power play), slowing it up," Quenneville said.

Hejduk added an empty-netter with 1:32 left for the final tally.

"We beat ourselves in the first two periods," Tampa Bay's Brad Richards said. "I don't know why, but we didn't realize we were in a game until the third. We were down, 2-0, because we didn't come to play."

Ramo stopped 22 shots for the Lightning, who have lost eight of nine at home after starting the season 11-3-1 on their own ice.

"Obviously when you don't score goals, it's really hard to win these games," Ramo said. "Our second period was awful. We didn't have any energy and only the third period was a good period."