DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche overcame a frustrating first period to pull even with the New Jersey Devils at 1-1, but a chaotic finish to the second left them facing a crucial 5-on-3 penalty kill to begin the third period. Gabe Landeskog scored the equalizer on the power play, while Nathan MacKinnon’s visible frustration and Josh Manson’s departure with an injury added to Colorado’s concerns heading into the final 20 minutes.

Despite holding an advantage in shots on goal, Colorado struggled to capitalize on its chances, while New Jersey made the most of its opportunity. However, the biggest concern for the Avalanche came late in the period, when Manson went down near the bench and needed assistance from a trainer to leave the ice.

New Jersey’s defense delivered the first major hit of the game as Colorado attempted to generate a rush. Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon caught Nazem Kadri with a heavy check into the boards, leaving the Avalanche center visibly shaken as he took a moment to regain his bearings.

With nine minutes remaining in the opening period, Logan O’Connor nearly gave Colorado the breakthrough. The Avalanche forward found a loose puck in the low slot with the net wide open, presenting a golden opportunity to put his team ahead 1-0. However, Devils defenseman Brett Pesce hooked O’Connor at the last moment, sending him tumbling to the ice and preventing a potential goal.

Although Pesce’s intervention thwarted Colorado’s scoring chance, it came at a cost for New Jersey, as the infraction sent the Avalanche to the power play.

Colorado failed to capitalize on the man advantage, and the ensuing sequence quickly turned disastrous. The Avalanche surrendered possession, allowing New Jersey to break the other way on a two-on-one rush. Connor Brown carried the puck forward, sold the passing option with a convincing fake, and then sent a shot toward the net that banked off goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood and crossed the goal line to give the Devils a 1-0 lead.

The goal marked a costly swing in momentum for Colorado, which had been presented with an opportunity to strike first but instead found itself chasing the game.

The Avalanche suffered another concerning setback with just over four minutes remaining in the period when defenseman Josh Manson went down near the Colorado bench. While on the ice, Manson made several attempts to open the bench gate but struggled to reach it. He eventually managed to get through, where a trainer immediately assisted him down the tunnel.

Manson’s departure cast a shadow over an already frustrating period for Colorado, with his condition unclear as the teams headed toward the intermission.

After 20 minutes, the Avalanche trailed the Devils 1-0 despite holding the edge in shots on goal. Colorado needed a stronger response in the second period, but Manson’s apparent injury added another layer of concern as the team attempted to erase the deficit and get back into the contest.

Colorado found its equalizer with 9:02 remaining in the second period, capitalizing on the power play to pull even at 1-1. Jaden Schwartz found Gabe Landeskog at the doorstep, where the Avalanche captain scored his fifth goal of the season.

The goal came moments after Colorado’s first power-play unit had left the ice. Notably, Nathan MacKinnon did not finish the shift with the rest of the unit, exiting early as Brock Nelson took his place.

MacKinnon’s frustration became more apparent a short time later. Following another difficult shift, the Avalanche star was seen yelling on the bench after slamming his stick against the boards, adding a tense moment to Colorado’s efforts to take control of the game.

The momentum shifted again late in the period when O’Connor was called for cross-checking Olympic hero Jack Hughes into the boards with 1:59 remaining. The penalty sent Colorado to the penalty kill at a critical point in the game.

The situation grew more contentious with 31.4 seconds left, when Brent Burns was called for tripping Luke Evangelista, giving New Jersey a two-man advantage. Boos erupted as the call was announced, and the replay appeared to show Evangelista battling for a loose puck before getting sandwiched between Nicolas Roy and Burns. The sequence appeared to suggest Roy was responsible for knocking Evangelista to the ice, rather than Burns, prompting a strong reaction from the crowd.

The second period ended with the score tied 1-1, but Colorado’s late penalties left the Avalanche in a precarious position. The Devils held a power-play advantage that would carry into the third period, with O’Connor having one second remaining on his penalty and 1:28 left on Burns’ minor.

Colorado also received confirmation of another significant setback between periods: Manson, who had left the game injured in the first, would not return.

The Avalanche head into the final period having recovered from their early deficit, but they will need to kill off the remaining penalties before turning their attention to finding a go-ahead goal. With the game tied and the Devils set to open the third with a 5-on-3 advantage, Colorado faces an immediate test that could determine the direction of the final 20 minutes.

To the chagrin of Devils fandom, the Avalanche killed the remaining penalties to begin the third period.

Nazem Kadri snagged his second goal of the year at 2:45 after firing in a rebound off an initial shot from Nicolas Roy to give the Avalanche a 2-1 lead. 

Colorado wasn't finished yet.

Parker Kelly notched his second goal of the season 62 seconds later he sniped one by Devils goaltender Jake Allen to make it 3-1.