Nichushkin and Mackinnon Combine for Five Goals To Propel Avalanche Past Maple Leafs 7-4

All Aboard!

Valeri Nichushkin posted his first-career regular-season hat trick and Nathan MacKinnon reached 100 points on the season as the Avalanche defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-4 at Ball Arena on Saturday. Jonathan Drouin and Joel Kiviranta each scored while Sam Malinski and Ross Colton both posted two assists.

"He's been so good since he's been back," MacKinnon said about Nichushkin. "I don't think we've lost. So he definitely deserves that big night."

With their fifth-consecutive win, the Avalanche improved to 38-24-2.

"I thought we worked really hard," Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar said. "It was a good game. It was a really good hockey game from our guys. I think puck possession, the scoring chances we created, [and offensive]-zone time was fantastic."

How It Happened

Nichushkin opened the scoring at 56 seconds of the first period with his 13th goal of the season via a deflection from the left doorstep. With the primary assist on the goal, Ryan Lindgren recorded the 100th point of his career.

"What a start," Bednar said about the Drouin-Brock Nelson-Nichushkin line. "Right from the drop of the puck. Brock hits the post right away and they end up scoring a couple goals. [They were] dangerous."

Mitch Marner tied the game at 3:04 of the first period with a right-circle wrist shot.

Nichushkin gave the Avs a 2-1 lead with his second goal of the game and 14th of the season via a right-circle shot at 6:08 of the first period. With the primary assist on the goal, Nelson recorded his first point as an Av.

John Tavares tied the game for Toronto at 12:51 of the first period with a wrist shot from the slot.

Marner scored his second of the game to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead at 16:04 of the first period with a right-circle one-timer.

Tavares gave the Maple Leafs a 4-2 lead with his second goal of the game via a power-play tally from the low slot at 12:45 of the middle frame.

At 15:11 of the second period, the Avs cut their deficit in half when Kiviranta scored his 13th goal of the season with a shot from the low slot set up by Ross Colton's centering feed. With the secondary helper on the goal, Sam Malinski recorded the first multi-assist game of his career.

Drouin tied the game at 11:55 of the third period with his ninth goal of the season via a one-timer from the slot set up by Charlie Coyle, who picked up his first point as an Av.

MacKinnon gave the Avs a 5-4 lead on the power play at 15:45 of the third period with his 26th goal of the season via a left-circle wrist shot. With that goal, he picked up his 99th point of the season and the 998th point of his career.

With his 15th goal of the season, Nichushkin completed the his first-career regular-season hat trick with an empty-net tally when he scored from the neutral zone at 18:06 of the third period.

"To me, he's one of the top 200-foot players in the game," Bednar said about Nichushkin.

MacKinnon gave the Avs a 7-4 lead with his 27th goal of the season and second of the game via an empty-net tally from the slot at 19:07 of the third period. With that goal, MacKinnon joined Peter Stastny as the only players in franchise history to post at least three-consecutive 100-point seasons.

"He continues to impress me," Bednar said about MacKinnon. "Because when I first came here, he was battling to try to hit 100 points. And he's grown a lot as a player, as a leader, the consistency, [and] the way he's dangerous every time he touches the ice."

Next Up

The Avalanche conclude their homestand on Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks at 7 p.m. MT on Altitude2 and Altitude+.