Mikkler Boedker scored two goals, and Andreas Martinsen added another as the Colorado Avalanche delivered yet another home loss to the Canucks with a 3-1 victory.
Henrik Sedin scored and Ryan Miller made 31 saves for the Canucks (27-30-12), who are 10 points behind Colorado, with playoff hopes slowly fading away.
Nikita Tryamkin, a 6-foot-7 Russian defenseman, made his NHL debut for the Canucks less than two weeks after his season in the Kontinental Hockey League ended, and the 21-year-old had his first point on Sedin’s game-opening goal 12 minutes into the first period. Tryamkin one-timed a point shot that Varlamov stopped, but the rebound was shot off a leg by Daniel Sedin and went to Henrik, who had an open net with Varlamov stranded. It was his 11th goal on the season.
The Avalanche would surge past the Canucks courtesy of two goals from Boedker.
Boedker, tied the game 1-1 just 66 seconds after Sedin scored. Matt Duchene stole the puck from Hutton in the corner and fed Jarome Iginla in the slot for a shot attempt that bounced off a defender and straight to a wide-open Boedker, who had an empty net on Miller’s right for his 15th goal.
After a scoreless second, Boedker potted his 16th when he beat Ben Hutton wide around the right faceoff dot, pulling the puck from his backhand to his forehand as he went around the Vancouver defenseman, and then beat goaltender Ryan Miller with a quick short-side wrist shot over the glove at 00:37 of the third.
To end it off Martinsen made it 3-1 with a sharp-angled shot that went in off Miller by the glove on the short side at 5:31 of the third period for his 4th on the year.
Semyon Varlamov made 28 saves in the victory.
As well with the win, the Colorado Avalanche regained the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
Up next: The Canucks welcome the Edmonton Oilers to town Friday night.
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