"It doesn't matter if you're winning 50 games or more or where we're at, the wins feel good," said head coach Jared Bednar. "They should feel good. We talked about the competition part of this game being the best part about it, and we're happy in our room tonight. That's what matters for us."
Winning in extra time has been Colorado's thing this year. The team improved to 6-2 on the season when the game goes beyond 60 minutes, and it picked up its sixth win of the year when entering the third period tied.
Like it did the previous night in Buffalo, the Avalanche had a good start, but the difference was that it was able to sustain that level play. The club outshot the Hurricanes 14-9 in the first period and held a 1-0 lead after Tyson Barrie's goal at 13:48.
The Avs seemed destined to go into the locker room ahead 1-0, but a tough-angle shot by the Canes' Jeff Skinner squeaked through the pads of goalie Calvin Pickard with 49 seconds left and the teams ended up tied after the first period.
"They were coming off the bye week. We jumped on them right away, had a lot of good chances and got a nice goal in the first," Pickard said. "It was too bad that goal went in at the end of the first, but we stuck with it all the way through. It was a pretty even game after that, and it was nice to get the win."
Colorado and Carolina were neck and neck for the next 40 minutes, with the clubs recording 12 and eight shots apiece in both the second and third frames.
The Hurricanes had some good chances in the final period of regulation, but the Avs weathered the storm to keep the score even.
"We're trying not to be a group that comes up with excuses," said defenseman Tyson Barrie. "We've obviously had our struggles this year, and now is not the time to start doing it. We just show up every day, and we know we still got fans watching and fans that really care about our team."
It took almost the entire overtime period, but Mikko Rantanen was finally able to capitalize on a rush up the ice with 37 seconds remaining to give the Avalanche its first road victory since Dec. 23 at Chicago.
The victory seemed like it had been building during the road trip, with the club having been in every contest but unable to get wins as untimely mistakes kept being costly. On Thursday in Buffalo, it was penalties that zapped momentum in a 2-0 loss.
"We weren't real happy with the way we played again [on Thursday]," Bednar said. "I thought tonight's game was our most complete game of the road trip, to be honest with you."
It was a fun night for Colorado, as the team played the way it knows its capable of. The Avs now look to carry that momentum back home on Sunday when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"If we can bring that back to the Pepsi Center and remember how good it feels," Barrie said. "You know, we came in after the first period and we were all having a lot of fun. I think the game, it is a lot of fun when you're playing well. So hopefully that motivates us a little bit."
Friday's victory broke one more tough winless streak. It was the Avs' first in Raleigh since Jan. 12, 2008, ending a six-game drought.