Avalanche scores three power-play goals in win over Canucks – The Denver Post

VANCOUVER — A 62.5% power play will win you hockey games. The Avalanche used that percentage to finish 2-0 against the Vancouver Canucks in less than a week.

On Wednesday at Rogers Place, the Avalanche scored three power-play goals and got big games from forwards Mikko Rantanen and Nazem Kadri and defenseman Cale Makar to defeat the Canucks for the second time in six nights.

The Avs went 3-for-5 on the power play in a 4-2 victory to begin a two-game road trip. Colorado (7-5-1), which has points in six of its last seven games (5-1-1), was 2-for-3 on the power play in last Thursday’s 7-1 win over the Canucks at Ball Arena.

“Tonight was one of our better nights on the power play,” Kadri said.

Kadri and Makar scored man-advantage goals in a 53-second span early in the third period, shortly after Vancouver used a fortunate bounce on goalie Darcy Kuemper to take its only lead of the game. Avs captain Gabe Landeskog added an empty-net goal with 10 seconds remaining to complete the three-goal rally from a 2-1 deficit.

Rantanen, who scored the first power-play goal for a 1-0 lead in the first period, matched Kadri with a three-point night. Makar and Landeskog each had a goal and two points.

Kuemper (30 saves) was certainly one of Colorado’s best players.

“They played well tonight. I think they gave themselves a chance,” Kadri said of the Canucks, who outshot the Avs 11-4 to finish the first period and 15-7 in the second. “Kuemps made some outrageous saves for us that really picked the bench up. We were able to capitalize on that energy. That’s what we need from him. He’s capable, and especially without a healthy team, we’re going to need that.”

It was the Avs’ first regular-season game in Canada since March 6, 2020, when they lost 6-3 to the Canucks. Vancouver lost its fifth consecutive game.

“It didn’t come easy for us tonight but we stuck with it on a few occasions and were able to capitalize on a few nice plays from our guys,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Give them credit. They’ve put the work in behind the scenes in practice and the video room and it’s starting to come together without a few of our regulars in there. Other guys are stepping up. We get different contributions from different guys here tonight and the power play and penalty kill (3-for-3) were definitely a huge part of that win.”

The Avs came out strong, producing eight of the first nine shots and taking a 1-0 lead at 7:17 of the first period. The goal came from Rantanen on the power play, after Makar clanged a shot off the right post. Rantanen collected the rebound off Makar’s shot and beat goalie Thatcher Demko with a wrist shot from the right circle.

The Avs entered the game ranked 27th in the league in power-play percentage (15.2) and the Canucks were last in penalty killing (62.3%).

Kadri got the second assist on Rantanen’s goal, extending his points streak to seven games. That’s tied for the second-longest of his career.

Kadri, however, ruined a glorious chance for the Avs to have a 5-on-3 power play and break a 1-1 tie late in the second period. After Vancouver’s Tyler Motte was called for tripping and joining teammate Bo Horvat in the penalty box, Kadri was called for interference off the offensive-zone faceoff to trim the man-advantage to 4-on-3. The Canucks killed it off and stood 1-1 after 40 minutes.

Kadri made up for it in the third period. On the first of two consecutive power plays, and after Landeskog failed to score on what appeared to be an open net, Kadri chipped the loose puck past Demko at 2:19 — just 58 seconds after the Canucks went ahead 2-1 on a pinball bounce off a weak shot from the point.

Vancouver took another penalty on the ensuing shift and Makar cashed in at 3:12 for a 3-2 lead.

Footnotes. The Avs continued on without three key players — forwards Nathan MacKinnon (lower-body injury) and J.T. Compher (upper-body) and defenseman Bo Byram (head). But Byram, from Cranbrook, B.C., is here with the team and feeling better, Bednar said after Wednesday’s optional morning skate. The young defenseman didn’t play against Vancouver but his presence is good news as he hopes to recover from at least his third concussion in 2021, sustained last week against the Canucks. Byram, 20, was limited to just 19-of-56 games last season because of two concussions and he told The Athletic that he feared that he would never play again. “He’s feeling a little bit better (but) I’m not sure on his timeline,” Bednar said of Byram. Asked if Byram could resume skating soon, Bednar said: “We’re hoping that he can.” … Forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel made his debut with the Avs after begin claimed from Philadelphia on the waiver wire on Saturday. He took the Avs’ first penalty. … Defenseman Kurtis MacDermid was Colorado’s only healthy scratch.

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