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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Ed Jovanovski scored the
winning goal for the Vancouver Canucks after changing the course of
the game with his fists.
Jovanovski's goal 4:15 into the third period Wednesday night
gave the Canucks a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, who
lost two players to injuries.
|  | | The Canucks held Peter Forsberg, center, scoreless Wednesday night. |
Jovanovski, a defenseman, sent Colorado's Adam Deadmarsh to the
locker room with a mild concussion after their fight at 15:25 of
the second period.
"I think that fight did kind of get our guys going,"
Jovanovski said. "Any time someone on your team does something like
that, whether it's a fight or a big hit or a big play, the
intensity turns the other way."
Deadmarsh, who had given Colorado a 3-2 lead with his fourth
goal of the season just 20 seconds before the fight, received an
extra two-minute penalty for slashing and Daniel Sedin scored on
the ensuing power play to tie the game.
"It's a tough thing, but that's the game of hockey and stuff
like that happens," Jovanovski said. "Obviously you don't like to
see it but it's one of those things that can get you into the game.
Right after that we bounced back."
Colorado also lost leading scorer Chris Drury with a sprained
left knee ligament after he collided along the boards with
Vancouver forward Matt Cooke 26 seconds into the third period.
Drury assisted on Colorado's first two goals, running his point
total to 17, before the injury. He did not return.
On Thursday, it was announced that Deadmarsh will be out indefinitely and Drury will miss 6-8 weeks.
Colorado coach Bob Hartley didn't like Vancouver's physical
style of play.
"I'm a big fan of the Canadian Football League, and you don't
see as many tackles in those games as we saw tonight," he said.
Colorado has two straight defeats after opening the season with
an 11-game unbeaten streak.
Markus Naslund scored the opening goal and assisted on
Jovanovski's winner.
Jovanovski converted a perfect pass from Naslund out of the
corner with a quick wrist shot over goalie Patrick Roy's shoulder.
Vancouver improved to 7-2-2-1, moving within three points of the
first-place Avalanche in the Northwest Division.
The Canucks finished 2-for-4 on the power play against one of
league's top penalty-killing teams. Colorado came into the game
having killed 19 of 20 penalties over its last six games.
Both goaltenders played well, but Vancouver's Felix Potvin was
busier, facing 37 shots, including 15 in the final period. Roy
stopped 20 of 24 shots for Colorado.
Naslund opened the scoring at 5:11 of the first period on a
power play after Colorado was whistled for too many men on the ice.
Naslund now has eight goals this year, including three in two
games against Colorado.
The Avalanche ended a two-game power-play drought on their
second chance with the extra man, when Milan Hejduk scored at 11:49
of the first period.
Colorado added another power-play goal when Alex Tanguay roofed
a quick wrist shot from the low slot over Potvin's stick-side
shoulder. Tanguay's fourth goal, at 11:40 of the second period,
tied the game 2-2.
Deadmarsh made it 3-2 at 15:03 of the second when he pounced on
the rebound from Ray Bourque's point shot.
Matt Cooke scored the other Vancouver goal unassisted at even
strength.
Game notes
Canucks' twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Naslund and
Colorado star Peter Forsberg all grew up in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden.
... Vancouver left wing Donald Brashear, the victim of Marty
McSorley's high-stick attack last season, played his 400th game.
... Colorado center Joe Sakic came into the game with just two
goals despite ranking second in the NHL with 50 shots. ...
Vancouver defenseman Brent Sopel was in the lineup for the first
time this season after being recalled early from a two-week
conditioning stint in the minors. ... With defensemen Adrian Aucoin
and Mattias Ohlund out with injuries, the Canucks dressed seven
defensemen and 11 forwards.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Colorado Clubhouse
Vancouver Clubhouse
Deadmarsh out indefinitely, Drury out 6-8 weeks for Avs
RECAPS
NY Rangers 6
Tampa Bay 1
NY Islanders 3
Florida 0
Detroit 4
Montreal 2
Philadelphia 1
New Jersey 1
Dallas 4
Columbus 0
Edmonton 3
Calgary 2
Vancouver 4
Colorado 3
Phoenix 1
Anaheim 1
San Jose 3
Pittsburgh 2
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