Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist, Cale Makar, Alex Newhook, Valeri Nichushkin and Nicolas Aube-Kubel also scored, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 in Denver on Wednesday night for their sixth straight win.
Gabriel Landeskog had two assists and Jonas Johansson stopped 19 shots in relief of Darcy Kuemper, who suffered an equipment malfunction for the second straight game.
Sonny Milano scored both goals for the Ducks, Jamie Drysdale had two assists and Josh Gibson had 31 saves. Anaheim has lost three in a row.
The Ducks went ahead when they capitalized when Kuemper’s left skate blade came off. He was laying on his front in the crease but was able to make a pad save on Rickard Rakell.
The puck bounced on Kuemper and Milano knocked it in at 4:58 of the first.
Johansson came on after the goal and Kuemper returned midway through the period. Johansson started the second and stayed in the game. Kuemper finished with five saves.
The Avalanche got even just before the first intermission when Makar took a shot from the right boards and beat Gibson on the short side at 19:06. It was his eighth of the season and sixth in the last four games.
Colorado took the lead early in the second when Newhook deflected Devon Toews’ low shot over Gibson’s shoulder at 2:49. It was his third of the season and second in as many games.
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Aube-Kubel gave the Avalanche a two-goal lead when he beat Gibson with a snap shot at 10:25 of the second period. It was his second goal of the season, both since Colorado claimed him off waivers from Philadelphia on Nov. 13.
Kadri scored his seventh of the season on a two-man advantage 57 seconds into the third period. He now has at least one point in 10 straight games.
Nichushkin scored his fourth at 15:22 to make it 5-1 and Milano answered on the power play at 16:07. It was his fifth of the season.
–Field Level Media