Golden Knights fall to Avalanche in shootout

By Jesse Granger

Saturday, March 24, 2018 | 3:40 p.m.

Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog beat Marc-Andre Fleury with a blocker-side shot in the shootout to lift the Avalanche to a 2-1 win over the Golden Knights Saturday afternoon in Denver.

A win would have clinched the playoffs for the Golden Knights, which could still solidify their spot in the postseason with regulation losses by the Blues and Kings tonight. If it doesn’t get those results, Vegas will have to wait for Monday when it hosts Colorado at T-Mobile Arena for a chance to clinch.

In Saturday’s contest, the Avalanche dominated the first two periods. Colorado forward Carl Soderberg had the lone goal through 40 minutes, beating Fleury with a power play goal 13:52 into the first period.

Soderberg’s 16th goal of the season came on a one-timer set up by J.T. Compher.

Jonathan Marchessault broke Semyon Varlamov’s shutout bid early in the third period with a laser shot into the top of the Avalanche net. Marchessault skated through Colorado’s defense and wristed the puck over Varlamov’s left shoulder to make it 1-1 with 18:45 left in the game.

It was Marchessault’s 24th goal of the season, and his team-high 69th point of the season.

On the play just prior to the goal, Fleury kept the deficit at one with a spectacular pad save, dropping into the splits and sliding across the crease to stop a one-timer shot.

Both goaltenders were great down the stretch, and in the overtime period. Varlamov made seven saves in overtime, and stopped all three of the Golden Knights’ shots in the shootout to earn his 23rd win of the season.

In his first action since mysteriously leaving Tuesday’s game after the first period, Fleury stopped 25 of 26 shots in the shootout loss.