Avs use big third period to snap two-game skid
It was an offensive explosion, sans many of the team’s most explosive players.
The Avalanche, tied 1-1 after two periods Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center, erupted for 50 shots and three goals within a 2:32 span of the third period to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 and snap a two-game losing streak.
Colorado outshot the Oilers 36-7 in the second and third periods and 50-20 for the game.
Forwards Matt Nieto, Nathan MacKinnon and Logan O’Connor put pucks behind Edmonton goalie Mikko Koskinen at 3:05, 4:07 and 5:37, respectively, as Colorado further proved it can overcome the heavy injury losses of its best forwards, including its top two wingers.
Winger Andre Burakovsky was added to the list when he didn’t come out for the third period. Nieto replaced him and tapped in MacKinnon’s pass on a 2-on-1 rush to break the 1-1 tie. MacKinnon then scored his team-high 15th goal before O’Connor, a rookie from the University of Denver, scored the first of his NHL career.
“That’s a great feeling, something you sort of dream of your whole life so to have that happen tonight and get the win on top of it was definitely nice,” said O’Connor, who used a top-shelf back-hand shot for his first goal. “I’ll definitely give my parents a shout after the game; they’re definitely watching back in Calgary. So it’s nice to get that one tonight, in front of a good crowd and a big win for us.”
The Avs (14-8-2) improved to 7-3-1 at home. The Oilers (168-3), who saw super Connor McDavid fail to produce a point for the first time in a 12-game span, were completing a five-game road trip.
The injury-plagued Avs played their first game without defenseman Erik Johnson, who is day to day with an upperbody injury. They continued to play without forwards Mikko Rantanen (left leg), Gabe Landeskog (right leg), Colin Wilson (upper body), Matt Calvert (concussion). Rantanen, who is practicing with the team and scheduled to return Saturday, has missed 15 games. Landeskog and Wilson have both been out 13 and Calvert four.
“It’s been crazy. Boys are dropping like flies right now,” MacKinnon said. “We just need to keep weathering the storm until we get healthy. We know we’re a hell of a team. We started the season 7-0 for a reason, and we got injured. We’re feeling good. We have to stay confident. We’re playing a little differently, I think; we have to play a little more defensive and little more patient, I think.”