The Colorado Avalanche went into the holiday hiatus with a low-scoring victory and came out of it with a shootout in Las Vegas.
Colorado has won games in a variety of ways — now seven in a row — and will try to extend the winning streak to eight when it plays the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night in Denver.
The Avalanche have been on a hot streak since the start of the season, with only two regulation losses in 37 games and points in 27 of their last 28 games. Nathan MacKinnon has led the way with team highs in goals (31), assists (33) and points (64); his goals are the most in the NHL and he is second to Connor McDavid in points.
MacKinnon had a goal, two assists and the deciding goal in the shootout in Colorado’s 6-5 win at Vegas on Saturday night. He is making a strong case for his second Hart Trophy this year, but he has a reliable supporting cast as well.
Martin Necas has 49 points (18 goals, 31 assists) and Cale Makar is third on the Avalanche with 43 points (11 goals, 32 assists), which is also the most by an NHL defenseman this season.
Makar and his blueline partner Devon Toews get a bulk of the ice time, but Colorado has a deep defensive corps. That was evident by Sam Malinski’s three assists against the Golden Knights on Saturday night to push his season point total to 21 (three goals, 18 assists).
“I think it’s a confidence thing. When he’s confident, he can do a lot of things in this league that a lot of players can’t, so he just needs to know he can do it,” MacKinnon said of Malinski.
Los Angeles is coming off a 6-1 win over Anaheim on Saturday night that ended a stretch of six losses in seven games, two in overtime. The six goals were an offensive explosion for the Kings, who had scored just 11 in their previous seven games.
“When we were on that extended streak of not being able to put the puck in the net, you get thinking and you get discouraged a little bit,” captain Anze Kopitar said. “So to see a few go in early (Saturday), especially after a break, it’s obviously a good thing, and hopefully we can continue building on that.”
Alex Laferriere registered his first career hat trick in the win to push his season total in goals to 10. The Kings are led by Adrian Kempe’s 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists). Kevin Fiala is second on the team with 24 points (13, 11), Quinton Byfield has tallied 21 points (five, 16) and Kopitar is next with 20 points (six, 14).
This is the second of three meetings. Colorado beat the Kings 4-1 on the road to open the season on Oct. 7, and they will meet again in Los Angeles on March 2.
–Field Level Media
