Lehkonen’s Late Heroics Not Enough as Avalanche Fall to Devils

The Colorado Avalanche couldn’t overcome a sluggish start at Prudential Center, and even a furious late rally fell short.

Artturi Lehkonen scored twice in the final minutes, but goals from Luke Evangelista, Declan Chisholm, Arseny Gritsyuk and Jesper Boqvist proved enough for New Jersey to escape with a 4-3 victory. Scott Wedgewood stopped 37 shots in a stellar performance that deserved a better ending, while Colorado suffered its second consecutive regulation loss despite a late push that nearly made things interesting.

Gabe Landeskog also scored for Colorado, while Cale Makar recorded two assists. Jake Allen turned aside 30 shots for New Jersey, helping the Devils withstand the Avalanche’s late comeback attempt.

The Avalanche were outplayed, outshot and on their heels for much of the opening period, but Gabe Landeskog ensured they had something to show for it on the scoreboard. Despite surrendering 14 shots and managing just four of their own, Colorado escaped the first 20 minutes tied 1-1 with New Jersey, thanks to Landeskog’s late equalizer.

The defensive issues that plagued Colorado against the Flyers carried over into its matchup with the Devils. New Jersey came out flying, recording seven shots on goal in the opening five minutes while the Avalanche failed to register a single shot of their own.

Nathan MacKinnon endured a difficult start as well, getting knocked to the ice in his own defensive zone by Devils forward Dawson Mercer while away from the puck. Despite what appeared to be an interference penalty, no call was made.

New Jersey broke the deadlock at 6:40, capitalizing on a defensive miscue by Colorado. MacKinnon was unable to corral a loose puck in the defensive zone, allowing the Devils to regain possession. The puck eventually found Luke Evangelista, who fired it past Wedgewood to give New Jersey an early 1-0 lead.

Landeskog responded with 5:28 remaining in the period, bringing the Avalanche back even. Cale Makar shook off a defender before slipping a backhanded pass to Landeskog at the top of the right circle. Landeskog fired on goal and buried his own rebound to tie the game at 1-1.

Colorado’s defensive struggles continued late in the frame when Artturi Lehkonen was called for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass with 1:38 remaining. The Devils immediately pressured the Avalanche net, crashing the crease and forcing Wedgewood to make several difficult stops to keep the game tied.

After 20 minutes, the score remained 1-1, but the shots on goal told a different story. New Jersey held a commanding 14-4 advantage, leaving Colorado with plenty to clean up heading into the second period.

The second period brought more of the same, with Colorado struggling to generate offense as New Jersey continued to dictate the pace and pile up scoring chances.

Seven minutes into the period, the Devils held an 8-1 advantage in shots on goal, keeping Wedgewood under relentless pressure. The Avalanche netminder stood tall, turning aside one shot after another to prevent New Jersey from extending its lead.

As the period approached its midpoint, Parker Kelly provided a rare spark for Colorado. Coming off the bench, Kelly drove hard to the net and attempted to slip a puck past Devils goaltender Jake Allen with one hand, but Allen turned him away.

New Jersey eventually regained the lead with 7:29 remaining in the period, though the goal came on an unfortunate bounce for Colorado. Declan Chisholm unleashed a slap shot from the point that deflected off Brock Nelson and into the Avalanche net, giving the Devils a 2-1 advantage.

Colorado struggled to mount a meaningful response as the period wound down, leaving Wedgewood with little margin for error despite his strong performance between the pipes.

After 40 minutes, New Jersey held a 2-1 lead and a staggering 32-13 advantage in shots on goal. Wedgewood had kept the Avalanche within striking distance, but Colorado needed a dramatically better third period to have any chance of salvaging the game.

Colorado showed more urgency to open the third, generating a flurry of scoring chances. Martin Necas tested Allen with a backhand before Colorado created another dangerous opportunity on a Necas one-timer and a rebound attempt from MacKinnon. Makar even dove into the crease in an attempt to dig the puck loose, but the Avalanche couldn't find the equalizer.

That brief glimmer of hope was cute while it lasted.

Arseny Gritsyuk picked MacKinnon's pocket, skated past Necas, shrugged off Devon Toews and buried a backhand past Wedgewood to extend New Jersey's lead to 3-1. It was a brutal defensive sequence for Colorado and another reminder of just how much the Avalanche had struggled to contain the Devils all night.

The Avalanche earned their first power play of the game with 11:17 remaining in regulation after Evan Rodrigues was called for hooking Landeskog. Colorado failed to capitalize on the man advantage, but the team began to generate more consistent offensive pressure as the period progressed.

Had the Avalanche brought that urgency through the first two periods, the outcome might have looked very different. Instead, they were left scrambling to make up for 40 minutes of largely ineffective hockey.

With 4:44 remaining, Colorado pulled Wedgewood in a desperate attempt to spark a comeback. The move initially left the Avalanche vulnerable, and the night took another bizarre turn when Landeskog was struck in the back by a Makar slap shot, adding another entry to the Avalanche's ongoing Friendly Fire Chronicles.

Jesper Boqvist recovered the loose puck and sent it into the empty net to make it 4-1, seemingly putting the game out of reach.

Lehkonen had other ideas.

The Finnish winger scored his seventh goal in 10 games to cut the deficit to 4-2, giving Colorado a flicker of hope. The Avalanche pulled Wedgewood again with 2:51 remaining, gambling on the extra attacker to fuel one final push.

Lehkonen delivered once more, scoring his second goal in just over three minutes with only 4.5 seconds remaining. Suddenly, a game that had appeared all but over was a one-goal contest. But the clock had run out on Colorado's comeback, and the Devils escaped with a 4-3 victory.

The final score made this look far more competitive than it was for most of the night. New Jersey outshot Colorado 41-33, and the Avalanche spent much of the game struggling to generate sustained offense while allowing the Devils too much time and space in dangerous areas.

Wedgewood deserved a better result. Making his third start of the season, the goaltender turned aside 37 shots and repeatedly bailed out a defense that left him exposed far too often. Landeskog scored, Makar collected two assists, and Lehkonen's late brace nearly made the Avalanche's final push unforgettable. But the comeback couldn't erase the problems that put Colorado in that position in the first place.

New Jersey received goals from Evangelista, Chisholm, Gritsyuk and Boqvist, with Evangelista adding an assist. Allen made 30 saves as the Devils held on to secure the win at Prudential Center.

For Colorado, the loss marks a second consecutive regulation defeat and a disappointing end to a road trip that finishes 0-2. The Avalanche return home to Ball Arena with a 5-4-1 record and plenty to address, particularly defensively, before their next matchup.

Colorado will look to get back on track Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who enter the matchup at 6-2. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT at Ball Arena.