Xbox360 » By midway through the second period

DENVER (AP) — Nikita Kucherov took a puck in the face to keep it from leaving the zone. Steven Stamkos faked a shot to give it right back to an open Kucherov.Two heads-up plays for the one and only goal.Kucherov scored on a power play with 13:36 remaining Arizona Coyotes T-Shirts Womens , Andrei Vasilevskiy outperformed Semyon Varlamov in a goaltender showdown and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 on Wednesday night.“That was a good one,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “It was just fun to be a part of and have the seat that I do have to watch it.”This game featured two high-scoring, speedy teams. It had plenty of big-time saves by two shifty goaltenders.It certainly didn’t lack entertainment.“Usually it’s pretty boring when no one scores,” Stamkos said. “But both goaltenders played well. Both teams have some pretty dynamic offensive players that can create something.”On the winning goal, Kucherov saved the puck from leaving the offensive end as it bounced off his noggin. He then passed it over to Stamkos, who instantly drew a crowd. Instead of forcing a shot, Stamkos deked a defenseman and then delivered it cross-ice to Kucherov, who lined it in for his 150th career goal.“Anytime I can get it to him in that area, I’m going to give it to him every time Arizona Coyotes Hoodies Womens ,” Stamkos said. “He does what he does best.”Vasilevskiy was masterful in neutralizing the high-flying Avalanche, who returned home after a 3-0-1 trip. The Lightning goaltender turned back 23 shots for his 13th NHL shutout.“He was seeing everything and seeing his rebounds,” Cooper said. “He was great.”The only time the Avalanche were able to get one by him, the goal didn’t count. Gabriel Landeskog snapped in a pass from Nathan MacKinnon during a 2-on-1 break in the first period, but as they celebrated Tampa Bay challenged the play. The officials disallowed the goal after ruling Tyson Jost was offside. Jost was away from the play.“That’s not where the game was won or lost,” Landeskog said. “It would’ve been nice with a first-period goal, but we moved on and kept playing. We had other chances to score.”Vasilevskiy and Varlamov matched each other save for stellar save most of the contest. Varlamov blinked first when he allowed Kucherov’s goal with defenseman Tyson Barrie serving a hooking penalty.The Avalanche pulled Varlamov with about 1:30 remaining, but couldn’t score the equalizer. Varlamov finished with 23 saves.“I like a lot of the things that we did,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “That’s one of the best teams in the league Arizona Coyotes Hats Womens , no doubt. I think our guys should keep their chins up.”MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen each had nine-game point streaks halted. Their streaks matched the longest to start a season since the team relocated to town in 1995-96.The Lightning were coming off a 6-3 win over Chicago in which they set a new franchise record with 55 shots. Against Colorado, the Lightning had 24 shots.Kucherov had a wide open net in the closing seconds of the second period with Varlamov out of position. The Lightning right winger sent a liner toward a vacant part of the net, but the puck hit off a stick and caromed wide.He got some redemption.“Felt good,” Kucherov said.At the morning skate, Landeskog deflected the credit for receiving the league’s first star of the week. He had six goals during the stretch, including a hat trick.“If the team wasn’t winning, I wouldn’t get that recognition,” Landeskog said. “It’s fun. But at the same time it’s a young season, a lot of hockey left. Just enjoy it while we can.”NOTES: Lightning D Slater Koekkoek was a scratch. Cooper hopes to get him in a game during the trip. … Avalanche F J.T. Compher (concussion-like symptoms) was scheduled to see the doctor again Wednesday night. “I think he’s feeling better. But he has his good days and bad days Custom Arizona Coyotes Jerseys ,” Bednar said. … F Conor Timmins (concussion-like symptoms) is “feeling a little bit better,” Bednar said.UP NEXTLightning: Continue their five-game road swing with stop No. 4 in Vegas on Friday night.Avalanche: Welcome former Avalanche Matt Duchene and the Ottawa Senators to town on Friday. WASHINGTON (AP) — From banner to blowout, the Washington Capitals‘ Stanley Cup defense is off to a rousing start.After watching the franchise’s first Cup banner ascend to the rafters, the Alex Ovechkin-led Capitals scored two goals in the first two minutes on the way to a 7-0 thrashing of the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night. T.J. Oshie opened the scoring 24 seconds in and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the first of his two goals at 1:47 to give Washington the fastest first two goals by a defending champion in a season opener in NHL history.“We scored right away,” Ovechkin said. “After that, they were kind of in shock.”By midway through the second period, the Capitals chased goalie Tuukka Rask with five goals on 19 shots and ignited chants of “Back-to-back! Back-to-back!” from the fired-up crowd. That’s the chant Oshie started after the victory parade in June, and it was echoing throughout the arena four months later.“I said it because I believe it,” Oshie said. “We got a lot of guys in here that not too long ago were raising the Stanley Cup above our head. Not a lot’s changed.”Braden Holtby stopped all 25 shots he faced to improve to 15-2 with four shutouts against the Bruins.The emotional banner ceremony featured montages from the Capitals’ playoff run and ensuing celebrations and a roar when Ovechkin carried the freshly engraved Cup onto the ice and skated a lap with it. Minutes after Ovechkin kissed the Cup and put it back in its box www.bruinsshoponline.com , he and his teammates blew away any concern about an emotional letdown and began making a statement that they want to win it back.“We showed we’re not going to give a team easy ways to beat us,” Ovechkin said.In Todd Reirden’s first game as coach, the Capitals beat the Bruins for the 13th consecutive time, this time without Tom Wilson. Washington’s top-line right winger began his 20-game suspension for another illegal check to the head of an opponent in a preseason game.Without Wilson, the Capitals’ offense didn’t miss a beat as Ovechkin scored one of four power-play goals, Kuznetsov scored his second on the power play and John Carlson beat Boston backup Jaroslav Halak on a 5-on-3 advantage. Newcomer Nic Dowd joined the fun with a spinning back-hander, and Cup-clinching goal-scorer Lars Eller added the exclamation point with the seventh of the night.The Bruins were not pleased by Eller’s celebration, and winger Brad Marchand instigated a fight with him soon after.“His celebration was unnecessary,” Marchand said. “He took an angle in front of our bench and celebrated in a 7-0 game. So I just let him know.”Rask fell to 1-11-5 in his career against the Capitals with a 3.30 goals-against average and .889 save percentage that are each the second-worst of any opponent.“I’m out there to give us a chance Boston Bruins T-Shirts Womens ,” Rask said. “It didn’t happen today. Three soft goals, you’ve got to look in the mirror and go fix it.”Only two goals came against Halak, whose presence on banner night in Washington was poetic after his performance for Montreal in the 2010 playoffs ended one of the Capitals’ previous best chances to win a championship.NOTES: The Capitals have outscored the Bruins 48-19 during this winning streak. … Reirden expects Wilson to appeal his suspension through the NHL Players’ Association. … Neither Reirden nor Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy would say who’s starting in goal for his team Thursday. … The Capitals set a team record for goals in an opener. … Washington C Nicklas Backstrom became the third player in franchise history to reach 800 points.UP NEXTBruins: Visit the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night in No. 1 pick Rasmus Dahlin ‘s debut.Capitals: Open the rival Penguins’ season Thursday night in Pittsburgh.