Mikko Rantanen scored twice in the third period during a three-point performance to lead the visiting Colorado Avalanche to an entertaining 6-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
The defending Stanley Cup champions jumped out to a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Nathan MacKinnon also scored twice and Cale Makar collected one goal and one assist, while J.T. Compher added a single goal for the Avalanche, who will look to take a commanding lead in the best-of-seven series when they hit the ice for Game 4 on Monday, also in Seattle. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev made 25 saves.
Jaden Schwartz scored twice for Seattle, while Jamie Oleksiak and Matty Beniers also tallied in the franchise’s first-ever home playoff game. Goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 28 shots.
After watching his team blow a two-goal lead in the middle frame, Rantanen restored the Colorado edge at 3:01 of the third period by burying a cross-ice feed on an odd-man rush.
MacKinnon notched his second goal of the game 88 seconds later when he gained the puck near the blue line and eluded a couple of checks before ripping home a high shot.
Rantanen added an empty-net goal before Schwartz replied with a final-minute power-play goal to round out the scoring.
The Kraken opened the scoring for the third time in the series when Schwartz deflected Justin Schultz’s point shot at the 6:08 mark of the first, but the Avalanche responded with three consecutive goals starting with Compher’s short-handed goal 10 minutes later.
MacKinnon chipped a puck behind the defenders to create a breakaway that he converted with 45 seconds remaining in the opening frame, and Makar extended the lead to 3-1 when he blasted a slap shot from the point at 4:33 of the second period.
However, the Kraken responded with a pair of goals 19 seconds apart. Oleksiak cut Seattle’s deficit to one when he worked to the slot and lifted a backhand shot at 12:51 of the second period.
Just as Oleksiak’s goal was starting to be announced, Beniers made it a 3-3 affair by converting from the doorstep, but the Avalanche again pulled away.
Colorado forward Andrew Cogliano returned from injury, but Valeri Nichushkin was taken from the lineup due to injury. Seattle’s Morgan Geekie missed the game because his wife had gone into labor.
–Field Level Media
