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EDMONTON -- The Colorado Avalanche are looking quite ready to start the post-season. Erik Johnson led the way with a goal and an assist as the Avalanche gave themselves some breathing room in the playoff picture with a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Paul Stastny, Jamie McGinn and Tyson Barrie also scored for the Avalanche (51-21-7) who have gone 7-0-1 in their last eight games. "We played the type of game that we need to play in the playoffs," said Colorado goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere." It didnt matter that we were playing a team that is out of it. We stuck to our game and I was really impressed with the way we played, its a really good time for our team." The win gave Colorado a four-point cushion over the idle Chicago Blackhawks for second place in the Central Division and two points up on the San Jose Sharks for third in the Western Conference. The Avs remained four points back of division-leading St. Louis. "I think we just want to keep winning," said Stastny. "We want to get home ice. Whether we catch St. Louis or not, we just want to keep moving forward. If Chicago wins again, we have to win again to guarantee home ice for at least one run. But were not looking that far ahead, were just looking at the next game. We just have to keep playing well." The Avalanche set a team record for road wins with the victory, improving to 25-10-3 away from Denver. David Perron replied for the 28th place Oilers (28-43-9) who saw a two-game winning streak come to an end. "It was a small step backwards tonight," said Oilers defenceman Jeff Petry. "We werent sharp from the beginning of the game on. We werent making tape-to-tape passes or catching passes. We were just a little bit off tonight." Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins thought it was more than just a little off, especially in light of some of their efforts against top teams of late. "It was perplexing to say the least," he said. "On our last road trip and our last game here against Anaheim, we were dialled in, each and every guy. Tonight we just couldnt get our legs and get into the rhythm of the game. The biggest thing for me was it was almost like we couldnt work because we couldnt make two passes in a row. Our execution was just terrible tonight." Colorado started the scoring four minutes into the game after Stastny swatted the puck in through the legs of an Edmonton defender from the side of the net after goalie Ben Scrivens had made the initial stop on Gabriel Landeskog. It was Stastnys 23rd goal of the season. The Oilers tied the game on the power play with three minutes to play in the opening frame as Perron banked the puck off the skate of defenceman Nick Holden and past Giguere. It was Perrons team-leading 28th goal of the year. However, the Avalanche restored their lead just 12 seconds later as Johnson walked past Petry and beat Scrivens up high. "That was a huge boot right in the you-know-what," Eakins said. "You arent going great and you get a goal that livens your bench and they barely drop the puck and bang, it is in the back of your net." Johnson knew it was a pivotal goal. "It was right after they scored a power-play goal, the first shift after," Johnson said. "I just wanted to make sure first and foremost we got the puck in deep. I had some speed and made a move and it was fun to make a play like that and score a goal like that at this level. "We controlled the pace of the game the entire game after that goal, I thought." Both goalies were solid in the scoreless second period, particularly Scrivens, who came across to make a huge toe save on Stastny after a bad bounce off the glass with two minutes left. The shots favoured Colorado 23-19 through 40 minutes. The Avalanche came into the game with a record of 34-0-2 when leading after two periods. Colorado took a 3-1 lead seven-and-a-half minutes into the third on a power-play goal as Barrie came in from the point and took a shot through traffic that beat Scrivens high to the glove side. The Avalanche made it 4-1 with just under four minutes left to play as McGinn smacked the puck into the net before Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could clear it for his 19th of the year. Both teams return to the ice on Thursday as the Oilers play the third game of a season-ending four game homestand against the Los Angeles Kings. The Avs are on the road for their final four matchers, playing the second of a four game trip in Vancouver against the Canucks. Notes: It was the third and final meeting between the two teams this season. Edmonton started out with a huge 8-2 win over the Avalanche on Dec. 5, however the Avs bounced back with a 4-3 win two weeks later in Coloradoa Colorado is one of the few teams that the Oilers have had much success against in recent years, coming into the game with a record of 12-4-4 in their last 20 games against the Avalanchea Oilers forward Taylor Hall came into the game on a high note, having earned the NHLs first star status on Monday for his play last week. Hall potted two goals and added seven assists in four games to collect the honoura Out with injuries for the Avalanche were forwards Cody McLeod (ankle), P.A .Parenteau (knee) and Matt Duchene (knee)a Absent from the Oilers lineup were forwards Jesse Joensuu (ankle), Tyler Pitlick (knee), Ryan Jones (torn PCL), Luke Gazdic (shoulder), Nail Yakupov (ankle) and defenceman Andrew Ference (chest). Yannick Carrasco Jersey .C. - Phoenix Suns coach Jeff Hornacek says guard Goran Dragic will return to the starting lineup against the Charlotte Hornets after missing the last two games with a strained back. Thibaut Courtois Belgium Jersey .ca. Hello Kerry, After watching Nino Niederreiter clobber Alex Burrows with an open-ice hit on Wednesday, do you think he should have gotten more than the two minutes for interference. http://www.soccerbelgiumteamonline.com/Thibaut-Courtois-UEFA-European-Belgium-Jersey/ . When the next inning rolled around Wednesday, though, Nationals manager Matt Williams sent Strasburg to the mound to face the top of the Dodgers order in what would become a 3-2 victory for Washington, the first time this season the No. Mousa Dembele Belgium Jersey . Today, their baseball playing sons were reportedly traded for each other. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Cubs dealt minor league outfield Trevor Gretzky to the Angels for catcher Matt Scioscia. Mousa Dembele Jersey . "This is my city," the Toronto native said upon his arrival Wednesday night. And the 35-year-old former league MVP says he is hoping to making 2014 a memorable year.PHILADELPHIA -- Lucas Duda has struggled against left-handed pitchers this season, but he came up clutch this time. Duda singled home the go-ahead run with one out in the 11th inning to lead the New York Mets to a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night. It was New Yorks 11th victory over the Phillies in the last 12 games in Philadelphia. Long after starters Cole Hamels and Dillon Gee exited following their duel, Curtis Granderson opened the 11th with a single off Antonio Bastardo (5-5). Following an out, David Wright singled and Eric Campbell walked to load the bases. Duda then lined Bastardos first pitch sharply into right field to score Granderson. "I was lucky enough to just elevate a ball and sneak it over the second basemans head," Duda said. The hit was just the 12th in 71 at-bats for the left-handed hitting Duda against lefty pitchers. He also singled in the fifth against Hamels. "Im really happy for him and happy for us that hes in there, and hes going to fight and hes going to battle and try to put some good at-bats on left-handed pitching," Mets manager Terry Collins said. Duda raised his average against lefties to .169. "Its great for him, great for his confidence and everything else," Collins said. Justin De Fratus relieved Bastardo and got the final two outs. Dana Eveland (1-1) retired the Phillies in order in the 10th for the win. Jeurys Familia earned his second save in six opportunities but had to wriggle out of a two-out jam to get it. "That was a good grind-out win for us," Collins said. Ryan Howard singled and Marlon Byrd walked to put runners on first and second in the 11th for Domonic Brown. But Familia got Brown to ground out to shortstop. Regular Mets closer Jenrry Mejia wasnt available after a heavy workload the previous two nights, Collins said before the game. Carlos Ruiz homered for the Phillies, who dropped to 12-48 when scoring three runs or less. "We just werent able to put some runs on the board," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. Hamels continued his dominant stretch but didnt get anything to show for it. The left-hander allowed one run and five hits in seven innings with five strikeouts and three walks. The Mets scored in the fifth off Hamels, snapping his 22-inning steak without allowing an earned run. New York loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Duda and Juan Lagares sandwiched around a walk to Travis dArnaud. Duda then scored on Wilmer Flores hard-hit grounder. Third baseman Cody Asche lunged to stop the ball, but elected to throw to second rather than attempt to get Duda at home. Hamels threw up his hands in disgust after the run crossed. "Cody made an outstanding catch," Hamels said. "I knew that run was going to score." The Phillies tied it in the seventh on Ruizs two-out homer to left. It was Ruizs third homer of the season and first since June 7. "Right in his wheelhouse," Gee said. That was one of three hits the Phillies got off Gee, who struck out fourr and walked three in seven strong innings.dddddddddddd Besides Ruiz, Philadelphia got just one runner to second base off Gee. Brown advanced on Ruizs second-inning single. Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless eighth, Jonathan Papelbon tossed a 1-2-3 ninth, and Ken Giles struck out two in the 10th for the Phillies. Josh Edgin and Vic Black combined to allow one hit in two scoreless relief innings before turning the ball over to Eveland. New Yorks Daniel Murphy went 0-for-5, snapping his streak of five straight multi-hit games. TRAINERS ROOM Phillies: Brown returned to the starting lineup for the first time since a throat infection sidelined him for three days, and went 0-for-3. Brown has participated as a pinch-hitter in the last four games, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Mets: Right-hander Matt Harvey threw 29 pitches off the slope of the mound in Port St. Lucie on Saturday. Harvey is rehabilitating following Tommy John surgery last Oct. 22. UP NEXT Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler (7-8, 3.48) opposes Phillies right-hander Kyle Kendrick (5-11, 4.74) in the third game of the four-game series on Sunday. Wheeler, who has won four straight games, allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings in his only career start at Citizens Bank Park. Lifetime against Philadelphia, he is 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA in four starts. Kendrick is coming off his best start of the season when he allowed one run and five hits in seven innings in Tuesdays 2-1, 15-inning win over Houston. He is 8-9 with a 3.82 ERA in 25 games -- 19 starts -- against the Mets. MANUEL HONORED Former Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was inducted into the clubs Wall of Fame in a pregame ceremony that included Hall-of-Famers and fellow inductees Jim Bunning, Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton. Manuel managed nearly nine seasons and owns the Phillies record for most games managed (1,416) and most victories (780). He led the Phillies to five straight NL East titles and two World Series appearances and the 2008 championship. Manuel, one of the most beloved managers or coaches in Philadelphia sports history, delivered a moving and humorous speech during the pregame. "I never thought Id ever coach in big leagues," Manuel said. "My intention was to teach and hang around ballpark so I could take BP." SNAKE-BITTEN HAMELS? Hamels has a 0.73 ERA in his last five starts but is 3-1. It was the ninth no-decision for Hamels (6-6), who has been a victim of lack of run support this season. "Cole is on a terrific run," Sandberg said. "You almost come to expect it. But weve been coming up short on run support." The lefty has maintained a good attitude through the lack of offensive help. "I just have to keep on pitching and see what happens," he said. GEES TURNAROUND It was a turnaround outing for Gee, who was 0-3 with a 6.85 ERA in his last four starts. It also was an improvement in Philadelphia, where Gee had a 9.56 ERA in seven appearances (six starts) entering Saturday. "Its nice to go out there and put up a quality start, especially here and against that team," Gee said. ' ' '