MacKinnon scores twice, extends point streak to 15 games in win over Sharks

DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and two assists to extend his point streak to 15 games, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the San Jose Sharks 6-2 on Sunday night.

Mikko Rantanen, Ryan Johansen, Valeri Nichushkin and Miles Wood also had goals for Colorado, which played its third game in four nights and was coming off a 6-2 loss at Winnipeg on Saturday night.

Defenseman Cale Makar missed his second straight game due to a lower-body injury.

Alexandar Georgiev had 27 saves in rebound game from a poor start against Calgary on Monday. He was replaced by Ivan Prosvetov after allowing five goals on 21 shots through two periods in that one, and the Avalanche rallied to win. Prosvetov started the last two games.

“I thought he was great,” coach Jared Bednar said of Georgiev. “They created some really good looks and some difficult saves and he was really sharp.”

MacKinnon’s streak ties his career high and also gives him at least one point in all 16 home games this season. He is second in the NHL in scoring with 47 points, trailing only Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, who has 52 points.

“The game feels like it’s slow, which is always a good feeling,” said MacKinnon, who has six goals and 17 assists during his streak. “Doing a lot of work away from the rink that no one sees and it’s paying off right now.”

Tomas Hertl scored two goals for the Sharks and MacKenzie Blackwood finished with 23 saves.

Sharks defenseman Jacob MacDonald was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for his hit on Sam Malinski 2:47 into the game. It took Colorado nearly the entire power play to take advantage as Nichushkin scored on a tic-tac-toe play at 7:18.

“It wasn’t a very good power play but we got one so I can’t complain,” MacKinnon said.

Malinski suffered face lacerations and was bleeding as he went back to the locker room. He returned to the ice later in the first period.

San Jose lost another defenseman when Calen Addison left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury.

Rantanen made it 2-0 with 7:45 remaining in the period with his 15th of the season and Wood’s goal with 1:40 left made it 3-0 after the first period.

San Jose had nine minutes of penalties in the first period.

“It’s a hard team to play when you give them three goals and take that many penalty minutes,” Sharks coach David Quinn said.

MacKinnon’s goal 3:42 into the second gave Colorado a four-goal lead before Hertl scored on a power play midway through the period to get San Jose on the scoreboard.

After Johansen scored at 9:01 of the third to make it 5-1, Hertl scored his second of the night and 11th of the season 7 seconds into a San Jose power play to pull the Sharks within three with 9:15 remaining.

MacKinnon scored an empty-netter with 4:49 left for his 14th goal of the season.

UP NEXT

Sharks: Host Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

Avalanche: At Chicago on Tuesday night.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL