Avalanche overwhelm Sharks, score 6 in shutout win

DENVER --Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin each had a goal and three assists for the Colorado Avalanche in a 6-0 win against the San Jose Sharks at Ball Arena on Tuesday.

Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen each had a goal and an assist, and Alexandar Georgiev made 13 saves for his fourth shutout this season for the Avalanche (35-21-6), who had lost three straight.
Colorado moved into third place in the Central Division, three points behind the Minnesota Wild, who have played two more games, for second. The Wild lost 1-0 in a shootout to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
"Let's be fair, right. It's a tough schedule, the back-to-back travel, cross border, get in late, playing some tough teams and playing a lot of hockey, and we finally catch a team that's a little bit tired and we're rested," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "Tonight, there was a lot of positive signs, and again, we had the better legs and we were skating, but you should be able to do that and repeat that type of performance and that type of effort and that type of execution regardless of who you're playing if you're sharp and dialed in."

Kaapo Kahkonen allowed five goals on 24 shots before being pulled early in the second period for the Sharks (19-33-12), who were coming off a 3-2 overtime win at the Winnipeg Jets on Monday but are 1-5-1 in their past seven games. James Reimer made 18 saves in relief.
"That was as dominant a performance as I've seen all year. That hasn't happened to us all year," San Jose coach David Quinn said. "A), they're very good; B), we've been going through a lot the last few weeks like a lot of teams have, but big win last night and traveled here. But everybody plays back to back. Anything that could have gone wrong did. (We) didn't show any type of characteristics that we have throughout the season, and we've just got to move forward here quickly."
Makar gave Colorado a 1-0 lead at 4:08 of the first period with a shot from the point that went through a screen and in off the glove of Kahkonen.
"It's fun when you win games like this, and when you do in a fashion where we play a complete game, that's even better," Makar said. "Obviously, I always want to contribute, but that's not how I base my game-to-game play. I think it's more so the overall aspect. I look at different things, whether it's offensively or not."

MacKinnon made it 2-0 at 12:51, juking his defender in the high slot before scoring through a screen.
Mikko Rantanen pushed it to 3-0 at 17:01 with a power-play goal, electing to shoot glove side from the left circle on a 2-on-1 with Samuel Girard.
Nichushkin made it 4-0 at 1:22 of the second period on a redirection. It was his first four-point game since Dec. 7, 2013.
"I think that was nice start, especially like sometimes you have like 20 shots to score one goal, and today we, I think, get more lucky," Nichushkin said. "Ten years ago, it was, I had like four points, too. Probably next game will be in 10 years again."

Denis Malgin extended it to 5-0 at 2:45 of the second when he roofed a shot short side from the left circle.
At the time of the goal, Colorado was outshooting San Jose 24-2.
Lehkonen made it 6-0 at 18:21. Makar got around two defenders and drew a third to him along the goal line before passing to Lehkonen for a one-timer in the slot.
"[Lehkonen's] an extremely hard worker, extremely hard worker. He's in on the forecheck all the time," Bednar said. "He's a puck hound."
NOTES: Makar has 58 career multipoint games, passing Tyson Barrie for second among defensemen in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history. Sandis Ozolinsh is first with 63. … MacKinnon extended his home point streak to 14 games (12 goals, 12 assists). … Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano played his 1,200th NHL game. ... Sharks forward Nico Sturm was honored with a video tribute during the first period. Sturm won the Stanley Cup with Colorado last season.