Nathan MacKinnon scored the tiebreaking goal 4:06 into the third period as the Colorado Avalanche scored four times in a span of 4:21 before holding on for a 5-4 victory over the New York Islanders on Monday in Elmont, N.Y.
MacKinnon scored his 18th goal moments after New York goalie Seymon Varlamov slid across the crease to make a glove save on Mikko Rantanen. MacKinnon retrieved the loose puck when the Islanders could not clear and lifted a wrist shot through traffic that bounced off the pads of New York’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
The Avalanche added three more goals in quick succession for a 5-1 lead with 11:33 to play.
Cale Makar finished with two goals and an assist, extending his assists streak to 12 games, matching the franchise record set by current general manager Joe Sakic in 1992.
J.T. Compher and former Islander Devon Toews also scored for the Avalanche, who had lost their previous two games, just their third losing streak of the season. MacKinnon, Nazem Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog contributed two assists apiece as Colorado beat the Islanders for the second time in seven days.
After Colorado’s outburst, the Avalanche sweated out the final 8:02.
Anders Lee scored his second power-play goal of the game with 8:02 remaining and Casey Cizikas struck 90 seconds later to cut the deficit to 5-3.
The Islanders made it a one-goal game when Brock Nelson scored with 27 seconds left, but the hosts could not finish the comeback as Colorado blocked two shots by Nelson in the final seconds.
Colorado goalie Pavel Francouz made 15 of his 32 saves in the third period.
Varlamov stopped 44 shots, including 34 in the opening 40 minutes.
New York took a 1-0 lead on a power play at 8:59 of the opening period. Lee redirected Noah Dobson’s pass through the slot over Francouz’s right arm after Colorado defenseman Jack Johnson committed a turnover in the right corner.
Colorado tied the game with 5:42 left in the first. Makar blasted a wrister from the edge of the left circle past Varlamov’s stick after New York defenseman Scott Mayfield lost his balance trying to clear the puck.
After MacKinnon scored, Compher made it 3-1 by leaning into a one-timer in the left circle. Makar made it 4-1 by converting a wrist shot from the middle of the slot and Toews scored after Colorado dug the puck out of the right corner to give the Avalanche a 5-1 lead before the Islanders stormed back.
Lee made it 5-2 by scoring on a backhander and Cizikas scored on a rebound. Nelson made it a one-goal game by putting a wrister from above the right circle into the net.
–Field Level Media
