Cale Makar scored in regulation, Mikko Rantanen had the only goal in the shootout, and the visiting Colorado Avalanche beat the San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Saturday night.
Alexandar Georgiev stopped 20 shots through overtime and all three in the shootout for his 100th career win.
Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 51 shots and one in the shootout, and Thomas Bordeleau scored his first NHL goal for San Jose.
After the Sharks failed to score on their first two shootout chances, Rantanen beat Blackwood with a shot over his left shoulder, and then Georgiev stopped Mike Hoffman to end it.
The Avalanche carried the play for most of the first period, but San Jose scored. Hoffman chipped the puck along the boards to Matt Benning, who sent a high shot toward the net. Bordeleau deflected it with his blade past Georgiev at 8:42 of the first.
The goal held up until late in the third when Makar, with Georgiev off for an extra skater, scored his second goal of the season at 18:34 to send it to overtime.
Colorado had opportunities to get the equalizer earlier but Blackwood denied multiple chances. He got his right pad out to make a save on Valeri Nichushkin’s attempt at stuffing it in and stopped all 16 shots in the first period.
The Avalanche turned up the heat in the second period and nearly tied it on their first power play of the game. Colorado moved the puck around the zone but couldn’t find an opening against Blackwood.
With 26 seconds left on the power play, Luke Kunin was called for a high sticking minor, giving the Avalanche a two-man advantage but again they couldn’t capitalize. Soon after, the Sharks went on the power play and Colorado nearly tied it on its penalty kill, but Logan O’Connor hit the crossbar on an odd-man rush.
Artturi Lehkonen also hit a post late in the second.
The Avalanche kept up the pressure in the third and again nearly tied it, but Blackwood made a sliding save on Makar’s chance midway through the period.
–Field Level Media
