Nazem Kadri barely beat the clock, and because of that, the Avalanche are temporarily atop the NHL's Western Conference.
Kadri pushed in a rebound with 0.1 seconds remaining in the third period Sunday to beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Blues 2-1 in the league's Edmonton bubble location. The power-play goal was confirmed after a video review by the league in Toronto.
According to the NHL, Kadri's goal was just the second go-ahead goal in postseason history to be scored at 19:59 of the third period. Jussi Jokinen scored the first one, in 2009 for the Hurricanes vs. the Devils.
The teams were playing the opening game of a round-robin to among the top four teams in the West, which will determine where they are seeded in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Colorado was awarded two points for the win, putting them on top of the standings.
Had the puck crossed the goal line a tenth of a second or more later, the teams would have played a regular-season 3-on-3 overtime followed, if necessary, by a shootout. Round-robin games are being treated differently than the qualifying round games being played in Edmonton and Toronto, the East bubble. Playoff overtime rules are in effect for qualifiers, meaning 5-on-5 skating and 20-minute periods.
The other round-robin teams in the West are the Stars and Golden Knights. They will meet Monday in Edmonton.
