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After a solid October start to the season, the Colorado Avalanche are 3-3 in November, going back and forth between admirable wins and big losses. They kept the trend going last night with a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues (recap via Mile High Hockey), putting them in second place in the Northwest Division, four points behind the Vancouver Canucks. Defenseman John-Michael Liles led the Avs back after an early one-goal deficit, netting two goals and an assist in the first period, writes The Denver Post. That brings Liles to 16 points in 17 games, a good start to what could turn out to be his best season as a pro.
Second-year star Matt Duchene also found a way to contribute, even if he wasn’t scoring any goals. The smallish, skill player engaged in his first NHL fight, holding his own against the Blues’ Vladimir Sobotka. Duchene landed a couple punches and took a couple more, earning perhaps the loudest cheer of the night. “I used to fight a lot as a kid, but obviously this is way different,” he says. “We were just standing there, both the same size, and he said, ‘You wanna go?’ So I said, ‘Sure.'”