Taylor Hall gave goalie Semyon Varlamov a complimentary tap on the left leg pad after the right one stoned him at the second-period buzzer Saturday. Hall, who is Edmonton's star left winger and leading scorer, had just put his seventh shot on Varlamov, and he and his linemates had 15 through two periods.
Hall's public plaudit of Varlamov suggested the Oilers were beyond frustrated, and somewhat appreciative of the red-hot goalie from Russia. Varlamov was just that good in Colorado's 5-1 victory at the Pepsi Center.
The Avs built a 3-0 lead to support Varlamov's stellar play and went on to secure their fifth consecutive win to improve to 17-16-1 on the season.