Gavin Brindley scored 1:08 into overtime and the visiting Colorado Avalanche beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Sunday night.
Brindley carried the puck into the Vancouver end and put a shot on Kevin Lankinen, who couldn’t corral the rebound. Brindley tapped it between the goaltender’s leg to give Colorado its first win in six games beyond regulation.
Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and three assists, Artturi Lehkonen also scored twice, Valeri Nichushkin had two assists and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 29 shots in his second start of the season.
It was the second straight night MacKinnon had at least four points and now leads the NHL in points (29) and goals (14).
Colorado has won five of its last six and has earned at least a point in every game over that span.
Jake DeBrusk, Drew O’Connor, Kiefer Sherwood and Linus Karlsson had goals and Lankinen made 27 saves for the Canucks, who lost for the first time in five contests past regulation this season.
MacKinnon gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 6:41 of the first when he scored on a one-timer off a pass from Nichushkin. MacKinnon scored his second of the night just 1:29 later when he beat Lankinen with a wrister.
The goal was the 381st goal of MacKinnon’s career, one more than Peter Stastny for third in franchise history. Joe Sakic (625) and Michel Goulet (456) top the list.
Vancouver broke through at 11:47 of the first period when Karlsson stickhandled through his own skates next to the right post and used a wrister to beat Blackwood high to the far corner.
The Canucks tied it early in the second when Sherwood picked up a turnover deep in Colorado’s end and slid a backhander by Blackwood at 1:44.
Lehkonen put the Avalanche back in front 28 seconds into the third when he deflected Brent Burns’ pass over Lankinen’s shoulder.
However, another Colorado turnover led to O’Connor’s short-handed goal at 7:26.
Lehkonen put Colorado ahead 4-3 at 9:47 with a power-play goal but Vancouver tied it again when DeBrusk scored with the man advantage at 16:59.
Brindley’s third goal of the season came on assists from Cale Makar and MacKinnon.
–Field Level Media
