Avalanche recover, defeat Coyotes in shootout to gain in Central

TEMPE, Ariz. --Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist for the Colorado Avalanche, who recovered for a 4-3 shootout win against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena on Sunday.

Colorado moved into a tie with the Dallas Stars for second place in the Central Division, one point behind the Minnesota Wild. Dallas and Minnesota has each played one more game.
"The whole team kind of looked like we relaxed in the third period," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "We gave them some good quality looks … and we kind of let off the gas a little bit and let them right back into it. So, it's a good learning lesson."
Valeri Nichushkin scored and got the only goal in the seventh round of the shootout for Colorado (43-23-6), which has won eight of its past nine games, including 3-1 against the Coyotes on Friday. Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves.
"In the third they managed to score some goals," Georgiev said. "They have some skilled players over there and it's tied, but … [I still thought] we had a good chance to win in overtime. Then the shootout comes, and I just tried to make those saves on those guys and focus on that."

Clayton Keller, Christian Fischer and Matias Maccelli scored for Arizona (27-34-13), which has lost four in a row (0-2-2) but extended its home point streak to eight games (6-0-2). Connor Ingram made 29 saves.
"We pushed back really hard and we played really hard. They're not a team that you can come back against a lot," Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said. "But in the end, we fought really hard."
Maccelli cut it to 2-1 at 10:37 of the third period. He scored from a sharp angle along the goal line after his initial shot from the top of the left circle deflected off Nathan MacKinnon and caromed back off the end boards.
Fischer scored one minute later to tie it 2-2. Coming off the bench, he took a pass from Michael Kesselring as he skated behind the defense before shooting five-hole on Georgiev from all alone in front. The assist was Kesselring's first point in eight NHL games.
"We needed to have more confidence with the puck and make some more plays, and I think we did a good job of that in the third," Keller said. "We fought hard for that point."
Nichushkin put the Avalanche back in front 3-2 with a power-play goal at 13:11, tapping in a backdoor pass from Rantanen at the left post.

"We needed that goal. We needed a big way to take the lead back, calm things down a little bit," Bednar said. "I thought that's a big moment in the game. [Our players] are under pressure. They know we didn't play that well to start the period."
Keller responded to tie it 3-3 at 15:28 with a spinning shot from the right face-off circle.
"He just surprised the goalie on that one," Tourigny said. "Sometimes [goals occur] not always because it's a great player or it's a clever play or whatever, it's just a hardworking play."
The Avalanche were outshot 16-9 in the third period and overtime.
"[Georgiev] was fantastic in the shootout," Bednar said. "That's the way to bounce back and be resilient, stay mentally tough. I liked the way he responded."
Rantanen gave Colorado a 1-0 lead at 9:30 of the second period two seconds after a power play expired. After intercepting a pass up the boards by Ingram, Rantanen scored on a wraparound as the goalie tried to scramble back into position.
Bowen Byram pushed it to 2-0 at 10:46. Logan O'Connor's initial shot was saved by Ingram, but the rebound kicked off the skate of Jack McBain and deflected back into the crease, where Byram knocked it in.
NOTES:Arizona played with 11 forwards and six defensemen after forward Brett Ritchie was a late scratch because of an illness. … MacKinnon had his 11-game point streak end. … The Avalanche have scored at least one power-play goal in 11 consecutive games (14-for-35). … Keller extended his point streak to 12 games (11 goals, 10 assists), passing Shane Doan (2007-08) and Jeremy Roenick (1999-00) for the longest by a Coyotes player since the team relocated to Arizona for the 1996-97 season. … Nichushkin extended his point streak to six games (two goals, five assists). … Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz extended his assist streak to five games (six assists). …Colorado has won five straight road games.