Avalanche top Blue Jackets for 8th win in row

DENVER -- Nathan MacKinnon had a goal an assist to extend his point streak to 17 games and his home point streak to 33 games, and the Colorado Avalanche won their eighth straight game, 6-1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Ball Arena on Friday.

MacKinnon’s season-opening home streak (27 goals, 46 assists) tied Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers, 1985-86) for the second-longest in NHL history. Gretzky owns the NHL record for the longest at 40 games (Los Angeles Kings, 1988-89).

“I love coaching the guy because he brings an intensity and a drive to his game that's like unmatched in my opinion in the League,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “The streak is a result of all the hard work and dedication that he brings to the game on a nightly basis. There's not a guy on that bench that didn't know he hadn't had a point yet, and then when he got it, everyone was pretty happy.

“And you can see he wants it. Like he's a little ornery on the bench at the start of the second period when he hadn't got a point. So that's the pressure that he puts on himself.”

Mikko Rantanen had two goals and an assist, and Cale Makar had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche (45-20-5), who are 9-1-0 in their past 10 games. Jonathan Drouin had two assists, and Alexandar Georgiev made 23 saves.

The Avalanche are tied with the Dallas Stars for first place in the Central Division, two points ahead of the Winnipeg Jets. Colorado has a game in hand on Dallas.

“I think a little bit sleepy start, maybe, to the game, and gave up a little bit too much for them maybe, but I think we still had control of the game,” Rantanen said. “I think second period was obviously our best. I think in the in the third, the score got away a little bit. So then maybe [we] gave up too many chances, but 'Georgie' was making big saves.”

Elvis Merzlikins made 45 saves for the Blue Jackets (23-35-12), who have lost four of their past five games (1-2-2), including three in a row.

“They were way faster than us tonight. You can tell why that team is contending for and hoping for a long, long run in the playoffs. That's a real good hockey team,” said Columbus coach Pascal Vincent. “You're not allowed to make mistakes, and you got to compete for every single puck.”

Damon Severson scored to make it 1-0 Columbus at 4:28 of the first period. He fanned on a one-timer off a Johnny Gaudreau cross-crease pass but got just enough of the puck for it to trickle past Georgiev. 

“That's a team that we should aspire to be one day in this locker room,” Severson said. "That’s a top team in the League, if not the best one right now. They have such a good mix of players, good goaltending, first line, fourth line, the defense. They get how to play. They know how to play the right way.”

Makar tied it 1-1 at 11:00 with a wrist shot from low in the right circle that went far side past the blocker.

“It's a long game. You just wish that maybe we start with a goal a little more often than the other team,” Georgiev said of Colorado’s league-leading 24th comeback win. “But it's 60 minutes and it's a lot of hockey left. We're confident in our group.”

Ross Colton extended the lead to 2-1 at 5:43 of the second period when he knocked in the loose puck from Zach Parise’s initial shot after it trickled through Merzlikins and into the blue paint.

Rantanen made it 3-1 when he redirected Josh Manson’s shot from inside the blue line down and through the five-hole at 7:07.

"I think always, with confidence, the game feels a little bit easier, I would say. When you're fighting the puck a little bit and when you go through cold stretches it feels a little more difficult,” said Rantanen. “I think a lot of guys are feeling good about their game now. I would say everybody. So we're just trying to ride this streak now and keep it going.”

MacKinnon scored to make it 4-1 at 6:01 of the third period. Makar broke up a play in his own zone and sent MacKinnon a pass at the far blue line for a breakaway, which he finished from the right face-off circle.

“It's at so high a number of games now,” said Rantanen. "I think guys are obviously rooting for him and try to help him keep it going, and hopefully [he’ll] play all the home games this year and score points. We're trying to help him do that.”

Rantanen made it 5-1 with a power-play goal at 7:14, one-timing a crossing pass from MacKinnon past the glove.

Valeri Nichushkin scored at 13:38 for the 6-1 final.

NOTES: MacKinnon has an assist in 20 straight home games, which is the second-longest home assist streak in NHL history behind Nikita Kucherov (22 games in 2022-23). … MacKinnon has 119 points (43 goals, 76 assists) and is one behind Joe Sakic (120 in 1995-96) for the most in a season since the team moved to Colorado for the 1995-96 season. Peter Stastny has the Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques record with 139 in 1981-82. … The Avalanche have outscored opponents 37-14 during the eight-game winning streak and 48-20 in the past 10 games. … Makar extended his point streak to five games (one goal, six assists). … Makar’s 59 assists are the second-most in a season by a defenseman in Avalanche/Nordiques history (Steve Duchesne, 62 in 1992-93). … Casey Mittelstadt extended his point streak to five games (two goals, three assists).