Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 31 shots, and Colorado’s attack found room early and often as the Avalanche snapped a two-game skid with a 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Ball Arena on Friday.
Nathan MacKinnon drove the result with a goal and three assists, while Martin Necas supplied a goal and two helpers. Artturi Lehkonen and Devon Toews each posted a goal and an assist, Nazem Kadri scored his first of the season, and Fedor Svechkov added the other Colorado goal.
The Avalanche improved to 6-4-1 after dropping three of their previous four games. Tampa Bay, now 7-3-0, saw its three-game winning streak end after winning seven of eight.
“Obviously, a good start tonight,” MacKinnon said. “Beat one of the best teams in the League, so that’s always good.”
Colorado jumps on Tampa Bay early
Toews opened the scoring 1:08 into the first period. MacKinnon worked the puck to Necas as he cut toward the slot, and Necas returned it to Toews in the left circle. Toews put the finish past a sprawling Andrei Vasilevskiy and into an exposed net.
Necas said he spotted Toews before the puck reached him, despite the challenge of seeing through his bubble.
“I knew right away, before I got the puck, that he was going to be there,” Necas said.
Kadri made it 2-0 at 5:52 on the power play, hammering T.J. Hughes’ feed from below the goal line from the left circle. The shot went in off Vasilevskiy for Kadri’s first goal of the campaign.
Svechkov extended the lead to 3-0 just 24 seconds into the second. On a 2-on-1, he attempted a pass across for Hughes, but Vasilevskiy got a stick on it and popped the puck into the air. Svechkov batted the loose puck inside the left post.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar pointed to Svechkov’s ability to protect the puck, play through contact and handle the defensive side of the game. He also liked the connection developing on that line.
“When they’ve been good, they’ve been really good,” Bednar said.
After the horn
Jake Guentzel got Tampa Bay on the board with a power-play goal at 8:13 of the second. Brock Nelson blocked Charle-Edouard D’Astous’ shot from the point, and the deflection reached Guentzel near the left post for a short-side finish.
Lehkonen restored the three-goal margin at 13:57. MacKinnon carried the puck around the net and located Lehkonen in the left circle, where his snap shot redirected off Erik Cernak’s left leg and slipped through Vasilevskiy.
Guentzel answered again at 19:17, moments after a Lightning power play expired. Brayden Point sent a backhand pass from the slot to Guentzel at the right post. Colorado challenged for a missed stoppage before the goal, but the call stood after review.
MacKinnon put the game further out of reach at 4:18 of the third period. Lehkonen sent him loose through the neutral zone, and MacKinnon used his speed to create separation before beating Vasilevskiy’s blocker from inside the left faceoff dot.
Necas praised Lehkonen’s all-around influence alongside him and MacKinnon.
“He’s always in a good spot,” Necas said. “He creates so much space out there for me and MacKinnon. Every time he gets the puck, it feels like there’s a chance. He’s a great player and plays great defense.”
D’Astous brought the Lightning within 5-3 at 15:13, beating Blackwood’s blocker with a high-slot snap shot. Necas closed it out with an empty-net goal at 17:19.
Tampa Bay generated nearly 80 shot attempts, but coach Jon Cooper said too many failed to reach the net. He counted roughly 45 attempts that were blocked or missed the target.
“They came out flying, we didn’t,” Cooper said. “You go down 2-0 five minutes into the game, and now you’re chasing it. We were playing catch-up the rest of the way.”
Point said the Lightning were disconnected with the puck and paid for turnovers against Colorado’s speed.
“Our support wasn’t close enough, and I don’t think we played as a team enough,” Point said. “We turned over a lot of pucks, and a team like that will capitalize.”
Bednar called it Colorado’s most complete effort of the season, particularly considering a penalty-filled second period that forced the Avalanche to lean heavily on their penalty killers.
“You’re only using half your bench,” Bednar said. “The challenge was having those guys stay in it, but they had a good third period, too.”
Blackwood also enjoyed the view from his crease as Colorado’s top players created offense.
“When you see it in the game, and they’re doing it at the highest level, it’s pretty special,” Blackwood said.
Notebook
- MacKinnon’s three assists were the 45th three-assist game of his career, matching Joe Sakic for third in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history. Peter Stastny leads with 47, followed by Peter Forsberg with 46.
- Lehkonen stretched his point streak to six games, with six goals and three assists during that run.
- Logan O’Connor made his season debut for Colorado and recorded three shots on goal in 14:47 of ice time.
- Guentzel scored twice for Tampa Bay, while Point had two assists and D’Astous finished with a goal and an assist.
- Vasilevskiy made 18 saves in the loss.
- Nikita Kucherov remained at 1,137 career points, still one point shy of passing Steven Stamkos for sole possession of Tampa Bay’s franchise scoring record.
