Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and added an assist to extend his lead as the NHL’s top scorer this season as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Seattle Kraken 5–3 on Tuesday night at Climate Pledge Arena.

Brock Nelson found the net again, giving him four goals in his last five games. Artturi Lehkonen also scored, while Samuel Girard recorded his first goal of the season. Cale Makar, Martin Necas, and Valeri Nichushkin each chipped in with two assists. Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 34 shots in an impressive performance between the pipes.

For the Avalanche, it marked their third straight victory, while the Kraken have lost their last three, although they put up a good showing here.

Seattle received goals from Chandler Stephenson, Shane Wright, and Jordan Eberle. Former Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer was solid in defeat, stopping 33 shots.

First Period

Just over two minutes into the game, Josh Manson delivered a forceful check from behind on Mason Marchment, sending the brash forward sprawling to the ice. Several Avalanche players rose from the bench to assess the aftermath, and when Marchment regained his footing, he exchanged words with those looking on.

Seattle dictated the pace through much of the opening stretch, holding a 6–3 edge in shots on goal, but it quickly became the Mackenzie Blackwood show. The Colorado netminder robbed Matty Beniers and Frederick Gaudreau on a dazzling sequence of saves to keep the game scoreless.

With 7:40 remaining in the period, the Avalanche struck first. Necas fired a wrister through traffic that Artturi Lehkonen expertly redirected past Grubauer, who never picked up the puck. The goal was initially credited to Necas, but replay confirmed Lehkonen’s deft tip.

Moments later, Marchment broke free on a partial breakaway, but Sam Malinski hustled back, latched onto him, and forced a collision with Blackwood. Malinski was sent off for holding, though the Avalanche penalty kill stood firm. Shortly thereafter, Malinski was whistled again, this time for hooking Gaudreau, but Colorado once more survived the disadvantage.

Seattle then returned the favor when Ryan Winterton tripped Necas as he attempted to slice into the neutral zone. Despite the opportunity, Colorado’s power play woes persisted, and the period ended with the Avalanche clinging to a 1–0 lead.

Second Period

Just 3:03 into the middle frame, the Kraken evened the score. Jani Nyman’s shot rang off the post, and Shane Wright pounced on the rebound, batting it home at the backdoor.

Seattle seized the lead soon after. Beniers threaded a beautiful cross-crease pass to Adam Larsson, whose initial chance was somehow turned aside by Blackwood. The puck, however, trickled loose in the crease, and with no Avalanche defender tying him up, Eberle tapped it into a wide-open net.

Colorado caught a break when Marchment slashed Necas, putting the Avalanche on the power play. Necas appeared to respond moments later, but his goal was waved off after video review showed he had knocked the puck in with his glove.

The Avalanche finally broke through at 13:29 when Girard one-timed a shot past Grubauer for his first goal of the season, igniting a roar from the sizable contingent of Avalanche fans in attendance. Girard entered the game with three assists over his previous two contests, and his breakthrough felt inevitable.

With 3:43 left in the period, Vince Dunn was sent off for tripping Necas as the parade to the penalty box continued. Still, Seattle’s penalty kill, the league’s worst entering the night, once again outperformed Colorado’s struggling power play, holding the Avalanche to an 0-for-3 mark.

Colorado’s momentum stalled late when Ross Colton was called for boarding former Avalanche defenseman Ryan Lindgren with 1:04 remaining. Seattle capitalized almost immediately, as Chandler Stephenson fired a shot that deflected off Brent Burns’ skate and into the net, restoring the Kraken’s lead at 3–2.

Third Period

Tempers flared to open the final frame after Marchment slashed Manson following the whistle. The two had been at each other all night, and Manson finally had enough, dropping Marchment with a flurry of right hands that bloodied his nose. Brent Burns and Brandon Montour joined the fray and wrestled to the ice. All four players were assessed four-minute double minors for roughing.

Colorado responded quickly. Just 2:40 into the period, MacKinnon blasted a one-timer off a feed from Makar to tie the game at three.

Joel Kiviranta was sent to the box for tripping Nyman off the ensuing faceoff, giving Seattle another power-play opportunity.

At 7:49, Eberle was awarded a penalty shot after officials ruled that Manson had covered the puck in the crease with his glove. Replay appeared to show the puck sitting uncovered, leaving Manson visibly furious at the call. Eberle’s attempt came up empty, however, as his toe-drag move missed wide.

Dunn was later whistled for tripping Gabe Landeskog, and just nine seconds into the ensuing power play, Brock Nelson buried a rebound off a MacKinnon one-timer to give the Avalanche a one-goal lead with more than 12 minutes remaining. Colorado finished the night 1/4 on the power play.

Seattle pulled Grubauer for the extra attacker with 1:48 left, but the push came up empty. MacKinnon sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal with 23.4 seconds remaining, punctuating a hard-fought Avalanche victory.

Next Game

The Avalanche (24-2-5) have two nights of rest before they take on Jonathan Toews and the Winnipeg Jets (15-15-2) Friday night at Ball Arena. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time. 

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