DENVER (AP) — Jonathan Drouin and Jack Drury scored 52 seconds apart in a three-goal second period and the Colorado Avalanche beat weary Minnesota 5-2 on Friday night to pull even with the third-place Wild in the Central Division.
Ross Colton had two goals and an assist and Valeri Nichushkin also scored to help Colorado win its second in a row on coach Jared Bednar's 53rd birthday.
Nathan MacKinnon, the NHL’s leading scorer with 91 points, assisted on Nichushkin’s goal to extend his home points streak to 16 games. Mackenzie Blackwood made 18 saves.
Coming off a 6-1 loss at Utah the night before, the Wild led 2-1 after the first period on goals by Mats Zuccarello and Vincent Hinostroza.
Drouin tied it at 8:57 of the second, Drury followed with a backhander and Colton made it a two-goal game when he finished a 2-on-1 with 5:21 remaining.
Takeaways
Wild: Showed the effects of playing on consecutive nights late in the second period when Colorado was cycling around the offensive zone in the final two minutes. Filip Gustavsson made several of his 25 saves.
Avalanche: The offense has come alive after a lackluster two games out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break. The Avs have started their six-game homestand with two wins and have scored nine goals, eight over the last four periods.
Key moment
With Colorado down 2-1, Oliver Kylington passed it from his own end and behind the Wild defense to Drouin near the Minnesota blue line. Drouin skated in alone on Gustavsson and beat him with high wrister.
Key stat
Nichushkin scored for the first time since Dec. 22 against Seattle, but because he missed 21 games it was only a three-game drought.
Up next
The Wild host Boston on Sunday. The Avalanche host Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.
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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
