Joel Kiviranta scored twice and Cale Makar had two assists as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the host Seattle Kraken 3-2 on Tuesday.
Nathan MacKinnon also scored for the Avalanche, who won their third consecutive game following an 0-4-0 start to the season. Colorado goaltender Justus Annunen made 25 saves.
Jordan McCann and Ryker Evans tallied for the Kraken, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Philipp Grubauer stopped 25 of the 28 shots he faced.
Seattle had a 12-5 edge in shots in the first period, but it was the Avalanche who took the lead. Sam Malinski picked up the puck behind his own goal line, skated nearly to center ice and fed Kiviranta, who crossed the blue line and rang a wrist shot from the high slot off the left post and into the net at 18:32.
The Kraken tied it at 11:57 of the second. Following a scramble in the high slot, Colorado’s Nikolai Kovalenko inadvertently pushed the puck to McCann in front of the net. With his back still toward the goal, McCann lifted a backhander over Annunen’s glove hand for his 100th career goal for Seattle, the first player in franchise history to reach that mark.
Colorado regained the lead at 14:56 of the second as Kiviranta tipped Makar’s shot from along the boards at the top of the right faceoff circle past Grubauer.
The Avalanche extended their lead to 3-1 as MacKinnon beat Grubauer with a wrist shot from the high slot on the power play at 19:52 of the middle period, assisted by Makar.
MacKinnon appeared to score a second goal into an empty net with 3:40 remaining, but the Avalanche were ruled offside on the play.
Seattle had a six-on-four advantage for the final two minutes with Grubauer pulled and Kiviranta in the penalty box for slashing, and Evans tallied with five seconds left to make it a one-goal game.
The Kraken played without defenseman Vince Dunn (mid-body), who was placed on long-term injured reserve Monday.
Seattle played without defenseman Vince Dunn (mid-body), who was placed on long-term injured reserve on Monday.
–Field Level Media
