Avalanche double up Ducks for fourth straight win

[March 17, 2021]    Nazem Kadri recorded two goals and two assists as the Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the Anaheim Ducks 8-4 in Denver on Tuesday night.

Mikko Rantanen, Andre Burakovsky, Brandon Saad and Samuel Girard had a goal and an assist each for the Avalanche, who earned their fourth consecutive win and matched their highest goal total of the season.

Anaheim Ducks center Adam Henrique (14) attempts to score against Colorado Avalanche goaltender Hunter Miska (32) and defenseman Ryan Graves (27) in the first period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Nathan MacKinnon and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare added goals for the Avalanche, while Devon Toews notched three assists and Joonas Donskoi had two. Colorado's Philipp Grubauer made 15 saves in relief of Hunter Miska, who allowed four goals on seven shots.

Adam Henrique had a goal and two assists, Troy Terry had a goal and an assist, Danton Heinen and Derek Grant had a goal each and Ryan Miller stopped 28 shots for the Ducks. Anaheim took its fourth loss in a row and its 13th defeat in 15 games (2-10-3).

The game was tied at 4 after two periods, but the Avalanche scored twice in the first four minutes of the third. MacKinnon's power-play blast made it 5-4 at 1:01, his eighth of the season, and Girard shot one in off Anaheim defenseman Josh Mahura at 3:24.

Bellemare scored an empty-net goal and Saad tallied on the power play in the final four minutes.

Burakovsky gave Colorado a 1-0 lead when he knocked in Kadri's rebound just 1:01 into the game, but Terry tied it at 2:16. Just 2:17 later, Heinen beat Miska to put the Ducks ahead 2-1.

Kadri tied it again at 7:02 of the opening period, but the Ducks went back in front on Henrique's one-timer at 15:59.

Colorado got a power play late in the first, but Grant was tripped by Gabriel Landeskog on a breakaway to give Anaheim a penalty shot. Grant beat Miska in the one-on-one showdown at 19:42 for his first goal of the season.

Grubauer replaced Miska to start the second and the Avalanche tied it up. Rantanan's backhander went off Miller's shoulder and in at 11:25, his 14th of the season, and then Kadri tipped in a shot by Burakovsky at 18:26 to make it 4-4.

--Field Level Media

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