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BOX SCORE
DENVER (AP) -- It's becoming a habit for Brian Rolston, this
matter of scoring game-winning goals.
|  | | Colorado's Adam Foote, right, roughs up Pittsburgh's Alexei Kovalev. |
Rolston had two such game-winners for the New Jersey Devils
early this season and, after being traded to Colorado, added two
more in December. On Thursday night, he got No. 5 to lift the
Avalanche to a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg each had three assists for Colorado.
Patrick Roy had 25 saves for his 428th career victory. He trails
only Terry Sawchuk (447) and Jacques Plante (434) on the NHL's career list.
The Penguins, who got 18 saves from Tom Barrasso, rallied from a
3-1 deficit on goals by Matthew Barnaby and Tyler Wright early in
the third period.
Rolston's goal, however, kept the Avalanche unbeaten in their
last seven home games (6-0-1). After Forsberg kept the puck at the
blue line with his skate, Rolston unloaded a shot from the left
circle at 14:28 of the third period between Barrasso's legs.
"Peter kicked it between his legs and I just got it," Rolston
said. "The defenseman had backed up. I faked a shot and then let
go a wrist shot that the defenseman redirected. The goalie was
fooled by the redirection."
The Avalanche, particularly defenseman Adam Foote, kept
Pittsburgh's prolific Jaromir Jagr in check throughout most of the
game. Jagr, the NHL's leading scorer with 72 points, managed only
an assist on Barnaby's goal.
"We did a terrific job against Jagr tonight," Rolston said.
"He got his shots, but they were from the outside."
After the game, a Pepsi Center security officer had to restrain
Pittsburgh coach Herb Brooks from going after Avalanche television
play-by-play announcer John Kelly.
Brooks took exception to remarks Kelly made that suggested
Barnaby was faking an injury after being decked by Colorado's Alexei Gusarov with 27 seconds left in the game. No penalty was
called, but Barnaby lay on the ice, apparently unconscious, for
about a minute before being assisted to the locker room.
"Did you make that call on Barnaby?" Brooks shouted. "You say
he has a tendency to embellish? What the hell kind of call was
that? You aren't half the person your dad was."
Kelly's father, Dan, was voice of the St. Louis Blues for 21
years and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.
Brooks told reporters that Gusarov should have been assessed a major penalty.
"Look at the tape," he said. "He tore his head off. We have
two referees and they can't find that? Barnaby is just coming off a
concussion. He was flat out -- knocked out -- and the referees didn't see it."
In a free-wheeling game that was typical of two of the best
skating teams in the NHL, Colorado's Dave Reid scored just 55
seconds into the first period, from the right circle on a pass from Forsberg.
The assist enabled Forsberg to equal his career-best points streak of 10 games.
At 11:03, the Penguins tied it when German Titov carried the
puck along the left boards and jammed in a rebound of his own
wraparound attempt to the left of Roy.
The Avalanche lost forward Adam Deadmarsh to a knee injury in the first period.
Colorado withstood some early Pittsburgh power plays in the second period, including the Penguins' five-on-three advantage for 1:05, and then scored twice late in the period.
In a four-on-four situation, Sandis Ozolinsh scored from the slot at 15:02. With Jagr and Darius Kasparaitis in the penalty box
moments later, Colorado capitalized on the five-on-three advantage as Milan Hejduk beat Barrasso from the left circle at 16:16 for his 21st goal.
Barnaby took a long pass from Jagr and made it 3-2 at 4:42 of the third period. Just 1:05 later, Wright tipped in a rebound of Michal Rozsival's shot for the tie.
The Penguins went 0-for-7 on the power play and have failed to
score on their last 22 power-play opportunities.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Colorado Clubhouse
RECAPS
Buffalo 0
Boston 0
Chicago 5
Detroit 3
Tampa Bay 4
NY Islanders 2
Vancouver 4
Nashville 3
Colorado 4
Pittsburgh 3
St. Louis 3
Los Angeles 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Brian Rolston scores the game-winning goal for Colorado.
avi: 960 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Sandis Ozolinsh scores the easy goal for Colorado.
avi: 1105 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Matt Barnaby scores on the hard slap-shot for Pittsburgh.
avi: 850 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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