Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to extend his NHL lead, Brock Nelson also scored, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 in Denver on Tuesday night.
Gabriel Landeskog contributed two assists and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away all 10 shots he faced in relief of Scott Wedgewood for Colorado, which has won nine straight at home.
Wedgewood left midway through the second period with an upper-body injury after making 10 saves and was ruled out before the third period. Wedgewood leads the NHL in wins with 13.
Valeri Nichushkin returned after missing eight games with a lower-body injury.
The Avalanche remained unbeaten in 13 home games (11-0-2) and earned at least a point in their 17th straight game (14-0-3). Colorado has just one regulation loss in 26 games. It is the second longest into a season with just one regulation loss, trailing only the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers (37 games).
Linus Karlsson had a goal and Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves for Vancouver. The Canucks have lost six of their last seven and are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games.
Vancouver forward Evander Kane left the game late in the third period holding his left wrist. He went straight to the locker room and didn’t return.
Karlsson gave Vancouver the lead just 2:55 into the game when he got a pass from Arshdeep Bains, stickhandled on Wedgewood and beat him with a backhander in close.
MacKinnon tied it in the final minute of the first period. Devon Toews took a shot from the right side, the rebound went to MacKinnon in the left circle and he chipped it over Lankinen’s right pad at 19:23.
Nelson, who had four points in a 7-2 win over Montreal on Saturday, gave Colorado the lead when Landeskog fed him as he skated down the slot and he wristed it over Lankinen’s right shoulder at 13:52.
MacKinnon again struck in the final minute of a period when his one-timer on a pass from Landeskog beat Lankinen at 19:26.
MacKinnon leads all NHL skaters in goals (22) and points (46).
–Field Level Media
