Mackinnon nets five points in win over Sabres
Commit one penalty against the Avalanche, and hold your breath. Commit two in succession, and start digging yourself a grave.
The Sabres led 2-1 nearing the halfway point of the second period when Henri Jokiharju went to the box for hooking Nathan Mackinnon. Four seconds later, Artturi Lehkonen caught a high stick in the face.
Those who drew the penalties also reaped the rewards in the same order, scoring power play goals 49 seconds apart to give Colorado a 3-2 lead and awaken the Avalanche’s offense in a 6-4 win.
“I liked our 5-on-5 game tonight,” coach Jared Bednar said, despite 30 minutes of the game being played in special teams. “It wasn’t perfect. … Second period, we didn’t give up a lot of shots 5-on-5 until the end of the period.”
Mackinnon scored twice in a five-point night that brought his team-leading total to 32 points in 21 games — a season pace of 128.9. J.T. Compher contributed his second and third goals of the season.
“It wasn’t pretty, but found a way to get a win,” Compher said. “Stuck with it. Wasn’t the best we’ve played.”
The last 11 minutes of the second period were a whiplash-inducing after the Avalanche (13-7-1) had looked lifeless for the previous 48 hours. Trying to shake a 5-0 loss Tuesday in Winnipeg, the Avs were still searching for their first even-strength goal of the road trip when Mackinnon and Lehkonen drew the pivotal penalties.
Granted 1:56 of 5-on-3 time, Mackinnon flicked a game-tying wrister past Ukko-pekka Luukkonen after 80 seconds. What proceeded from there was a clinic in power play persistence. Bednar kept the top unit on the ice, as has been the recent trend with forward depth lacking.
As time winded down, Lehkonen provided pressure again to force a poor attempt to clear the puck. Cale Makar stopped it at the blue line. Within five seconds, Lehkonen was back in position to dispense Mackinnon’s rebound into the net.
The Avs never relinquished that lead. All three of their goals had still been scored with a man (or men) advantage, but confidence spiked and the game opened up. Mackinnon struck again two minutes later for his first multi-goal game of the season.
Bednar, asked afterward if he ever runs out of things to say about his top center, answered with a laugh. “No,” he said.
“He’s the leader for us every night,” Compher said. “Drives the bus. Did it again tonight. Doesn’t always get the goals, but it was nice to see him get a few to go in tonight.”
The Avs also found themselves defending a 5-on-3 at one point from simultaneous penalties. That they almost survived it (until 16 seconds remained) was a testament to their improving penalty kill. Buffalo finished 2-for-7 on the power play including two missed chances to even the score in the third period.
“You try to just forget everything and be in the moment,” said Alexandar Georgiev, who has allowed nine goals in the last two games. “I wasn’t really sure in the third period the time. Or the score, really.”
He was drawn out of the net more than usual on Buffalo’s first two goals — both cases of Georgiev being aggressive in response to the mistakes on the ice around him, Bednar agreed. The first goal allowed was a tailor-made 2-on-1.
“Mental mistake on routine rush coverage that I don’t love,” Bednar said. “We had a couple other breakdowns.”
On the other side of the special teams coin, the Avalanche went 3-for-6 against a penalty kill that features old pal Tyson Jost. The former Colorado first-round pick landed in Buffalo last month after Minnesota placed him on waivers. He has been an asset in his new home, but he couldn’t quite corral the puck for a late third-period breakaway against his former team.
Mackinnon poked away. it