DENVER (AP) \u2014 Scott Wedgewood made 32 saves for his second shutout of the season, and the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche beat the Utah Mammoth 1-0 on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
Wedgewood’s 10th career shutout helped extend Colorado’s home winning streak to 13 games. The Avalanche have won six in a row overall and eight of nine heading into the holiday break.<\/p>\n
Colorado\u2019s 61 points are the second most in the NHL after 36 games behind the 1929-30 Boston Bruins, who had 63 points at that stage.<\/p>\n
Samuel Girard scored the lone goal for the Avalanche (27-2-7), who remain unbeaten in regulation at home (15-0-2). They have not lost on home ice since Carolina\u2019s 5-4 shootout win on Oct. 23.<\/p>\n
Vitek Vanecek stopped 25 shots for Utah, which had won two of three.<\/p>\n
The Mammoth\u2019s No. 1 goaltender, Karel Vejmelka, was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Utah signed Colten McIntyre to an amateur-tryout agreement to serve as Vanecek\u2019s backup for the night.<\/p>\n
Vanecek had a strong performance against the NHL’s top-scoring team. The Avalanche averaged 4.6 goals in the five games heading into Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
Girard stole the puck from Clayton Keller in the neutral zone, skated in ahead of Keller and beat Vanecek with a backhander at 7:57 of the second period.<\/p>\n
Wedgewood kept the Mammoth off the scoreboard with big saves in the second period. He made a blocker save on Daniil But, stopped Dylan Guenther on a breakaway late in the frame and 30 seconds later made a glove save on Keller that stood after a review.<\/p>\n
Utah turned up the pressure in the third period and pulled Vanecek for an extra skater with 2:03 left but couldn’t get the equalizer.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
Mammoth: Off until Monday night, when they host Nashville.<\/p>\n
Avalanche: At Vegas on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
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