Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
This seemed enough like a playoff game, the Avalanche could have placed pom poms on every seat and raised ticket prices.
OK, strike that last part.
But with Colorado and Nashville fighting over what would be the final wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference, there was a lot on the line at the Pepsi Center on Friday.
The red-hot Tyson Barrie's third goal in the last three games, on a shot from the top of the a slot as Gabe Landeskog screened Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, broke a 3-3 tie at 11:00 of the third period and the Avalanche went on to open the second half of its season with a 5-3 victory over the Predators that left both teams with 45 points.