(My Sportsbook) - Maybe all the Colorado Avalanche needed was a change behind the bench to get the team going. It certainly seems like it after one game of the Tony Granato era, as the Avs showed the fire they have been lacking all season in their 2-1 win over Northwest Division rival Edmonton on Thursday.

"The guys responded very well to me," said Granato. "There was a lot of energy in the room, the leaders stood up and said what they had to say. I don't know that I had an impact at all. I'm awfully proud of the way the guys responded to a tough situation."

Granato, who had never coached a game prior to this season, replaced Bob Hartley on Wednesday after the team struggled out of the gate to start the season. Hartley posted a 193-109-48-9 record, including a 10-8-9-4 mark this year and guided the team to four conference finals and the 2001 Stanley Cup championship.

This season Colorado, which is chasing its NHL-record ninth-straight division title, has slipped to fourth in the Northwest, eight points back of the upstart Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild.

However, things seemed to change on Thursday at the Pepsi Center, where the Avs are an uncharacteristic 4-5-6-1 on the year, and Patrick Roy stopped 31 shots in one of his finest efforts of the season, as he came within two seconds of his 62nd career shutout.

"I don't need a coaching change to put pressure on myself," Roy said. "I've been working hard lately and I was not happy with the way I was moving in my net. Tonight, I felt solid out there."

Alex Tanguay scored with 6:15 left in the first period to give the Avs a 1-0 lead. Tanguay charged towards the net and made a great move to get by defenseman Ales Pisa. He slid the puck under Pisa's stick before picking it up defenseman Ales Pisa. He slid the puck under Pisa's stick before picking it up at the right side of the crease to beat Tommy Salo under his right arm.

"Alex is a great player, and things haven't gone well for him lately, but every player has got to know he's going to have stretches like that in their career," Granato said. "But he's played hard, he's practiced hard and he was on the puck all night tonight, and made a huge impact on the game."

Dean McAmmond added a goal at 5:40 of the third period to give Colorado a two-goal advantage. Adam Foote a sent a shot at the net from the right point and McAmmond, who was in the low slot, deflected the puck over Salo's stick.

Then it was time for Roy to shine with a spectacular glove save on Anson Carter's attempt from the right side of the crease. However, Mike York scored with just two ticks remaining on the clock to finally get Edmonton on the board.

In addition to the pressure of coaching his first NHL game, Granato was also burdened with the fact that he was without his two superstars, Joe Sakic (ankle) and Peter Forsberg (concussion), for the third straight game. It did not matter though, as the Avalanche stretched their unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1) and put the rest of the conference on notice that are ready to get back in the mix of things.

UP NEXT

The Avs have a chance to prove that they are back with a home tilt against Minnesota on Saturday then another home game on Monday versus Vancouver.