Nathan MacKinnon scored the go-ahead goal at 16:35 of the third period and the visiting Colorado Avalanche came back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 Saturday night.
MacKinnon, who also had an assist in the game, scored his 23rd goal of the season to give the Avalanche their third straight win. They are on a 9-1-1 surge.
Ross Colton scored his ninth goal of the season into an empty net at 19:52 of the third. He added an assist.
Jonathan Drouin and Mikko Rantanen each added a goal and an assist, and Andrew Cogliano also scored for the Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 26 shots for Colorado in the opener of a five-game road trip.
Max Domi, Morgan Rielly and Timothy Liljegren scored for the Maple Leafs, who lost their second consecutive game. Martin Jones made 28 saves in his seventh straight start for Toronto.
Domi’s knuckling shot was deflected by Colorado defenseman Josh Manson at 6:23 of the first period. It was Domi’s fourth goal of the season.
Rielly scored his sixth goal of the season at 10:47 of the first, completing a solo effort with a high backhand flip.
Liljegren scored his second of the season at 15:04 of the first after a scramble in front of the net.
Toronto had a 15-7 advantage in shots on goal after the first period.
Drouin snapped a 15-footer for his 10th goal at 5:27 of the second period during a power play to begin the comeback. Mark Giordano was off for holding.
Rantanen scored his 22nd at 13:13 of the second, knocking in the rebound from a blocked shot.
Toronto led 23-20 in shots on goal after the second period.
Cogliano scored his fourth of the season at 7:35 of the third period, firing home a rolling puck from the slot following a blocked shot.
Valeri Nichushkin (illness) did not play for Colorado.
–Field Level Media
