MACKINNON STARS
Bernier shuts out Dallas 3-0
Behind a penalty-free effort through two periods and another outstanding play-making performance by center Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche rolled past the Dallas Stars 3-0 on Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center.
In a festive environment on the night before Thanksgiving, MacKinnon had three assists to extend his scoring spree to 20 points in 10 games and Colorado improved to 7-1-1 at home and 118-1 overall. The Avs won just 13 times in 41 home games last season en route to a league-low 48 points. They have now scored three goals in every home game.
Jonathan Bernier, making backto-back starts because of the illness to Semyon Varlamov, recorded the 15th shutout of his career with 28 saves.
MacKinnon, who had the gametying assist and game-winning goal Sunday in a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory at Detroit, assisted on goals by defenseman Erik Johnson and forwards Nail Yakupov and Gabe Landeskog. Yakupov’s goal in the last second of the second period gave the Avs a 2-0 lead and all the momentum entering the third. It came off an offensive-zone faceoff and a set play, with MacKinnon winning the draw back to Yakupov.
MacKinnon won the draw but the puck went airborne. No problem. He knocked it out of mid-air to Yakupov, whose one-time blast from between the circles entered the net with less than a second remaining, based on replay. The goal made up for the Avalanche’s failure to capitalize on its first three power plays — the latter of which produced glorious chances from the right circle off the sticks of Alex Kerfoot and Landeskog.
It was scoreless after a ho-hum first period. The best scoring chance came off an awkward bounce behind Bernier. The Stars’ entry-zone dump-in bounced off the end boards and toward Bernier’s crease as the goalie anticipated it going into the corner. Dallas forward Antoine Roussel was on the forecheck and was looking at an open-net tap-in goal, but Bernier threw his stick at the puck, which caromed off his shaft, then off the crossbar and out of danger.
The Avalanche will practice Thursday morning but have the afternoon free to celebrate Thanksgiving — although there’s only four Americans on the team. The Avs will take a 6 p.m. flight to the Twin Cities and play the Minnesota Wild in a Black Friday matinee. Colorado then embarks on a fivegame homestand beginning Saturday against the Calgary Flames.