AVS TOP KINGS 4-1
Sweep two-game series
Amid an epic snowstorm outside Ball Arena on Sunday, the Avalanche poured it on inside the building to win its third consecutive game and produce points in six of its last seven.
Perhaps this game would have been postponed if fans were allowed in the arena. But the Avs played like they had the backing of a sellout home crowd, scoring the first three goals in defeating the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 to cap a sweep of the twogame set.
Colorado (16-8-2) blanked the Kings (11-10-6) 2-0 on Friday night.
Linemates Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky each had a goal and an assist and fellow forwards Joonas Donskoi and Nathan MacKinnon also scored as the Avs improved to 4-1-1 on their club-record, nine-game homestand.
Kadri, the player of the game, had a plus-3 rating as Colorado produced more than two goals for the first time in a four-game stretch. In the Avs’ previous three games, they outshot their opponent by more than a 2-to-1 margin but were snakebit in scoring.
“I think it was just a matter of time,” Kadri said of ending the recent team scoring slump. “That’s going to happen. You don’t lose that touch. We still got guys who can finish and over time we’re a threat to wear some teams out.”
Goalie Philipp Grubauer made 27 saves for his 15th win in 22 starts. The Avalanche, which led 3-0 after two periods, outshot the Kings 41-28 — marking the club-record 16th consecutive time it held an opponent under 30 shots.
“Our commitment to defend I feel like has been there all year. But I think we’re getting better at it,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said after his club improved to 94-1 at home. “We’re more consistent, guys are noticing it on the bench and talking about it. When they’re bringing attention to it, that’s good leadership and good buy-in.”
MacKinnon scored his second empty-net goal in as many games late in the third period on a play that was again assisted on by linemate Mikko Rantanen, who unselfishly passed to MacKinnon for Friday’s emptynet goal.
Kings defensemen Kurtis MacDermid ruined Grubauer’s shutout at 6:07 of the third period.
The Avs broke a scoreless tie at 11:05 of the first period when Kadri took a headman pass from Burakovsky in the neutral zone and skated in the zone with linemate Brandon Saad. The play resulted in Kadri toe-dragging around Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and using a wrist shot from between the circles to beat goalie Cal Petersen.
“It was a good play by Burky getting it out,” Kadri said. “(Saad) drove the net, bought me some time. I knew the defenseman was going to poke-(check) so I just tried to stay patient, drag it around him and put it in the corner. Luckily that worked out.”
Kadri’s line finished with five points. Saad got the second assist on Burakovsky’s goal at 14:05 of the second period — a play in which Kadri fed Burakovsky a perfect pass to the goalmouth.
“As for our line, we’ve been starting to generate more chemistry as of late, and that’s a tendency once you play more and more with each other,” Kadri said. “We’re feeling it now. We just have to continue to do the right things.”
The Avalanche continues its homestand Tuesday for a makeup game against the Anaheim Ducks.
footnotes. Colorado continued to play without six lineup regulars, each out with injuries. Forward J.T. Compher and defensemen Cale Makar, Bo Byram and Conor Timmins are recovering from upper-body injuries and could be on the cusp of returning. Defenseman Erik Johnson (upper-body) and goalie Pavel Francouz (lower-body) are on long-term injured reserve. … Avs forward Tyson Jost celebrated his 23rd birthday Sunday.