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ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- The NHL's best team was showcased at the Xcel Energy Center. And it wasn't the Colorado Avalanche. Defenseman Lubomir Sekeras scored 3:43 into overtime as the league-leading Minnesota Wild clinched the most successfulmonth in their brief history with -2 victor over the Avalanche. Seri Zholtok set up Sekeras' game-winnand score in the second period for innesota,which extended its unbeatentreak to five games (4-0-1) and has 16 points in October to break the single-month team record. "No one thought we would be where we are," said Wild coach Jacques Lemaire, who had a rare display of emotion after Sekeras' goal. "We are on a roll right now, it would be nice to keep it going." In overtime, Zholtok swatted at a loose puck in the Colorado zone, then retrieved it after it slid between the legs of Avalanche defenseman Derek Morris. Zholtok chipped a backhanded pass in front to Sekeras, who moved down the slot and pushed a shot past goaltender David Aebischer for his first goal in 45 games since January 4. "I was coming in pretty slow, waiting and waiting to see what Sergei was going to do with the puck," Sekeras said. "I was ready to go back if Sergei didn't pass the puck, but he did and the pass was right there." "(Zholtok) lost the puck and I went to tip it out," Morris said. "I don't know if it hit my stick or missed it totally. After that, it was going to result in a goal." Manny Fernandez stopped 21 shots to remain unbeaten at 6-0-0 and help Minnesota take three of a possible four points in the home-and-home series with the four-time defending Northwest Division champions. "They are a very good club, they come at you all three periods and it was nice to get the two points (tonight)," Zholtok said. Joe Sakic scored both goals for Colorado, which fell to 9-1-1-1 all-time against the Wild. "They're a good team," Sakic said. "They're young, they're fast, they've got a good power play." Colorado dominated the first period, holding the Wild without a shot until the final minute and ending up with a 14-1 advantage and a 1-0 lead. During a two-man advantage, Sakic got a soft pass from defenseman Rob Blake and slapped a one-timer from the top of the right faceoff circle into the top right corner of the net. The assist was Blake's 500th NHL point. Fortunes were completely reversed in the second period, when Minnesota had an 11-2 edge in shots and tied it at 14:13 on Marian Gaborik's power-play goal. Cliff Ronning curled in a pass from behind the net and Gaborik shifted to his backhand before lifting the puck past Aebischer's glove. "We've got very good players (on the power play) with Bruno (Andrew Brunette) and adding Cliff this year," Gaborik said. "We've been trying to bump it in and work harder to get set up." Zholtok put the Wild in front 90 seconds into the third period when he got a piece of Matt Johnson's shot at the side of the net and nudged the puck past Aebischer, who had been 3-0-0 lifetime against Minnesota. Sakic forced overtime just over five minutes later when he veered across the high slot and snapped a wrist shot by Fernandez's stick side for his fifth goal of the season. "One shot can make all the difference," Lemaire said, referring to Sakic. "You could see it when he scored, there was nearly nothing. He came inside on the backhand, then quick to his forehand and it's in the net. That's the way these guys are." But Sekeras came through in the extra period as Minnesota handed Colorado its second loss in seven games. "I think every team is so tight. This league is so competitive that I think that to be consistent for 82 games and 60 minutes a game is basically impossible," Avalanche coach Bob Hartley said. "I think we can be much better than what we've been so far." |
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