Rapid Recap: Flames 5, Avalanche 4 (OT)
Colorado finished 2-0-1 in its season series with Calgary
by Callie Parmele @CallieParmele / ColoradoAvalanche.com
The Colorado Avalanche erased a two-goal deficit in the third period to tie the game and extend its point streak to seven games but fell 5-4 in OT to the Calgary Flames at Pepsi Center on Monday.
Tied going into the final frame of regulation, Andrew Mangiapane and Michael Frolik scored in the first 1:39 of the third period for the Flames. Nathan MacKinnon and Joonas Donskoi tallied for the Avalanche to knot the contest at 4-4 and send the game into overtime.
Sean Monahan scored the game-winner 2:09 into the extra stanza. Derek Ryan and Matthew Tkachuk were the other goal scorers for Calgary. David Rittich made 28 saves in the outing.
Ryan Graves and Valeri Nichushkin also scored for Colorado, each recording their fifth goals of the season. Pavel Francouz stopped 28 of the 33 shots he faced.
The contest concluded the season series between the clubs. The Avs finished the set 2-0-1.
Statistics | Photo Gallery | Highlights | Notes & Quotes | Coach Bednar Postgame
THE GOALS
1st Period
4:32 COL (1-0) - Joonas Donskoi fed the puck on a rush to a pinching Ryan Graves, who scored his fifth goal of the season
2nd Period
9:33 CGY (1-1) - Derek Ryan redirected a shot from the point into the Colorado net.
10:04 COL (2-1) - Valeri Nichushkin collected a rebound and slid the puck into the net to score his fifth goal of the season as he was falling down to the ice.
16:04 CGY (2-2) - PPG, Matthew Tkachuk scored with a wrist shot through traffic while on the power play.
3rd Period
0:12 CGY (2-3) Andrew Mangiapane gave the Flames their first lead of the game early in the third period after a turnover.
1:39 CGY (2-4) - Tobias Rieder fed a bouncing puck to Michael Frolik in the slot and Frolik extended Calgary's lead.
3:59 COL (3-4) - Nathan MacKinnon recorded his 19th goal of the season on a wrist shot that went near-side, top shelf.
10:45 COL (4-4) - Joonas Donskoi tied the game on a wrister that went far-side.
Overtime
2:09 CGY (4-5) - Sean Monahan scored to end the contest.
Final: Flames - 5 | Avalanche - 4 (Overtime)
3 STARS
- Sean Monahan (CGY): Scored the game-winner in overtime
- Matthew Tkachuk (CGY): Had a goal and an assist
- Ryan Graves (COL): Tallied and added a helper
Selected by Colorado Hockey Coach of the Game: Kyle Ford (Colorado Rampage)
POWER PLAYS
Colorado: 0 for 2
Calgary: 1 for 3
GOALTENDING BATTLE
Colorado: Pavel Francouz made 28-of-33 saves.
Calgary: David Rittich stopped 28 shots.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
Ryan Graves recorded his second multi-point game of his career with a goal and an assist. He also matched a career best with a plus-3 rating. The Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, native's plus-3 marked his seventh straight game of a being a "plus" player. He now leads the NHL with a plus-22 rating this season.
NOTEBOOK
Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and assist to increase his season totals to 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists). He is third in the league behind Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl (53) and Connor McDavid (52)… It was MacKinnon's 14th multi-point game of the campaign and the fifth in his last seven contests... Joonas Donskoi had a goal and an assist, his second consecutive multi-point outing. He now has 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 18 career games against Calgary, his most against any opponent… With his goal versus the Flames, Valeri Nichushkin has scored in back-to-back games and now has five goals and two assists in his past 10 outings… Colorado and Calgary completed their three-game season series. The Flames are the first Western Conference opponent to finish its season series with the Avs in 2019-20. The Avalanche finished the series 2-0-1… Colorado extended its point streak to seven games, one game short of its season-long streak (7-0-1 from Oct. 3-19)... The Avalanche is 9-3-2 on home ice in 2019-20 and is 14-3-2 over its last 19 regular-season home games at Pepsi Center
QUOTABLE
Joonas Donskoi on the game: "The difference between winning and losing in this league is so small. It's just a couple percent you let off the gas, you can end up losing. I think that's a good lesson for us. We have to find a way to work hard every night and bring the effort we had on the road, the last three games. It's a good lesson and we keep going forward."
BIG HIGHLIGHT
Video: CGY@COL: Nichushkin beats Francouz from in tight
IMAGE OF THE GAME
On Comet! On Cupid! On Donner and Gravy?
ROSTER REPORT
Matt Calvert returned to the lineup after missing Saturday's game at the Boston Bruins on personal leave… Calle Rosen skated in his fifth contest of the year after being the team's healthy scratch for the past two outings… Adam Werner served as the backup goaltender after being recalled from the American Hockey League's Colorado Eagles on Monday morning... The Avs reassigned forward T.J. Tynan to the Eagles earlier in the day.
INJURY UPDATE
Rookie defenseman Cale Makar missed his first game of the year as he is day-to-day with an upper-body injury… Philipp Grubauer participated in Colorado's morning skate but did not dress for the outing as he is day-to-day with a lower-body ailment… Nazem Kadri missed the game with a lower-body injury after skating in a red, non-contact jersey at Monday's morning's practice… Erik Johnson remains out with a lower-body injury… Colin Wilson is out indefinitely and is scheduled to have surgery to help fix his lower-body injury.
UP NEXT
Colorado continues its three-game homestand when it hosts the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT.
LINE COMBINATIONS
Based on start of the game
Forwards
92 Gabriel Landeskog - 29 Nathan MacKinnon - 96 Mikko Rantanen
95 Andre Burakovsky - 37 J.T. Compher - 72 Joonas Donskoi
83 Matt Nieto - 41 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 13 Valeri Nichushkin
81 Vladislav Kamenev - 17 Tyson Jost - 11 Matt Calvert
Defensemen
16 Nikita Zadorov - 49 Samuel Girard
27 Ryan Graves - 28 Ian Cole
48 Calle Rosen - 44 Mark Barberio
Goaltenders
39 Pavel Francouz
30 Adam Werner