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The Avalanche won for just the second time in
their last seven games (2-4-1). They also snapped their six-game
losing streak against the Blues dating back to the start of the
2018-19 season.
The Western Conference-leading Blues have lost back-to-back
games on the heels of an eight-game winning streak.
Nathan MacKinnon scored one goal and assisted on three others
for the Avalanche. Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, J.T. Compher and
Joonas Donskoi also scored and Samuel Girard earned four
assists.
Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves to snap his
five-game winless streak.
Robert Thomas scored twice and Alex Pietrangelo scored the other
goal while adding an assist for the Blues.
Looking for a more balanced effort, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar
continued his line-tinkering. MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog
stayed together on the top forward line at even strength, but
with Donskoi and not Rantanen.
Rather than load up a second scoring line, Bednar looked at
combinations that scattered Rantanen, Kadri and Andre Burakovsky
on different lines.
MacKinnon put the Avalanche up 1-0 with a breakaway goal with
10.3 seconds left in the first period.
Moments later Kadri expanded the Avalanche lead to 2-0 with a
rebound conversion from a sharp left-side angle at 3:20 of the
second. Then Rantanen made it 3-0 with a power-play goal from
the right circle on a 5-on-3 advantage.
The Blues bounced back in the frantic period with Thomas'
wraparound goal and Pietrangelo's power-play point blast off
Ryan O'Reilly's faceoff win.
But Makar pushed the lead back to 4-2, scoring a power-play goal
from straight-away above the circles with 16 seconds left in the
second period.
The onslaught continued in the third period as the Avalanche
chased Jordan Binnington with goals by Kadri from the right
circle off the rush, Compher on a power-play tip-in and Donskoi
from long distance.
The seven goals allowed were a career-worst for Binnington.
Jake Allen relieved Binnington with the Blues down 7-2 with 5:41
left to play. Thomas scored his second goal off a Makar turnover
to close the scoring.
--Field Level Media
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