Valeri Nichushkin had a goal and an assist, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher also scored, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 in Denver on Monday night.
Cale Makar had three assists, Nathan MacKinnon had two and Philipp Grubauer stopped 13 shots for Colorado. Grubauer earned his 100th career win, improving to 100-59-21. The Avalanche improved to 9-0-2 in their past 11 games.
Danton Heinen and Troy Terry scored and Ryan Miller made 43 saves for the Ducks, who saw their modest two-game winning streak end.
The Avalanche went ahead early in the first period. MacKinnon got the puck at the top of the left circle, spun around and then feathered a pass to Rantanen, who split two defenders before lifting a backhand past Miller at 2:56.
It was Rantanen’s 20th of the season.
Anaheim got even midway through the first. Max Comtois came out of the box after serving a minor penalty and brought the puck down the left side. He sent a pass through Devon Toews’ legs to Heinen, who stuffed the puck into a wide-open net at 9:14. It was his fifth of the season.
The game remained tied until the second period when Colorado struck again. Miller made a save on Ryan Graves’ slapshot from the point, and the rebound went into the air in front of the net. Ducks defenseman Andy Welinski knocked it down, and Jost quickly shot it into the net to put the Avalanche ahead 2-1 at 3:59.
Jost collected his third goal of the season.
Colorado added to the lead with a power-play tally later in the second period. The Avalanche worked the puck to Makar at the point, and his shot on net was tipped by Landeskog and by Miller at 16:20. Landeskog notched his 12th of the season.
Terry got the Ducks within a goal when he stole the puck in the Colorado end, put a shot on Grubauer and knocked in his own rebound at 3:19 of the third period. It was his seventh of the season.
Compher restored the two-goal advantage when he scored his fourth goal at 7:26, and Nichushkin iced it with his eighth at 9:30.
–Field Level Media