Game Recap: Avalanche 7, Sharks 3

DENVER -- Cale Makar had two goals and four assists, and Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and three assists in the Colorado Avalanche’s 7-3 win against the San Jose Sharks at Ball Arena on Thursday.

"Felt like they couldn't miss, those guys tonight,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “So real good work ethic and competitiveness from those guys. I think it always starts there if you're going to have a good night, and their skill took over. We were getting a little bit of time in the offensive zone, and they made good decisions and they finished to the net. They weren't afraid to shoot it.”

It was Makar’s first six-point game of his NHL career, which set a franchise record for the most points in a single game by a defenseman in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history.

“I don't know if [the points] were really great,” Makar said. “I was just kind of mucking it out there, throwing pucks to the net, and guys were getting rebounds. So nothing was super pretty, but it seems like the forwards are really rolling. They're finding ways to get to the net, and when guys do that, we just try and get the puck to the net from back end and they get rewarded.”

MacKinnon extended his home point streak to 18 games, and Jonathan Drouin and Martin Necas each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche (37-24-2), who have won four straight. Artturi Lehkonen had two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 31 saves.

“I thought we were dialed in and focused and on our toes right from the start of the game. We had really good hunger,” Bednar said. “We're trying to dial our game in so it's ready. We're in a playoff fight here, obviously, and we need the points, and it's important that we play the right way and play well as a group, and continue to try and strive for perfection in our game at this time of the year.”

William Eklund had a goal and an assist, and Macklin Celebrini and Fabian Zetterlund scored for the Sharks (17-38-9), who had won two in a row and had points in four of their past five (2-1-2). Alexandar Georgiev made 25 saves in his first start against Colorado after being traded to San Jose on Dec. 9.

“A lot going on [today], and I think we saw the human side of our game tonight with our players,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “It's a learning experience for everyone. I think you're seeing a really good team that has a chance to win the Stanley Cup that we're going against, and they're clicking on all cylinders.”

Joel Kiviranta scored short-handed give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 4:19 of the first period. He took the puck up the ice from circle to circle on a 2-on-1 and scored top shelf, short side.

“‘Kivi's' goal on the PK there, that was huge,” Makar said. “I think you obviously gain a lot of momentum. Coming out tonight, we wanted to start hot and we got it going right away. Kivi got us going, and then we just kind of started rolling from there.”

Makar extended it to 2-0 with a power-play goal at 6:43. He one-timed Drouin’s return pass from the top of the right circle.

“Just amazing, tough to find a better player in this league,” MacKinnon said of Makar. “Playing half the game and doing what he does every night is amazing, and it's fun to see it every night.”

Zetterlund cut it to 2-1 with a power-play goal at 10:08 when he redirected Collin Graf's pass at the right side of the crease. Ryan Lindgren tried to rim the puck out off the glass, but Graf intercepted it before feeding Zetterlund.

Drouin made it 3-1 with a power-play goal at 19:57 on Necas’ crossing pass at the backdoor. Necas passed the puck through Georgiev’s legs and across the crease for the shot into the open net.

“I think we just need to play better in every area of the game,” San Jose forward Barclay Goodrow said. “Obviously, they're an elite team, a team that's contending for the Cup and making big moves. Obviously, if we as a team don't play our best, then that’s the game you're going to see.”

Necas pushed it to 4-1 with a power-play goal 40 seconds into the second period after he one-timed Makar’s pass from above the left circle.

MacKinnon made it 5-1 at 10:54 when he tapped in a loose puck at the left post. Makar’s initial shot missed the net and bounced off the end boards right to MacKinnon for the rebound.

MacKinnon scored again to make it 6-1 at 5:21 of the third period after he knocked in the rebound of another initial shot from Makar.

Celebrini cut it to 6-2 with a power-play goal at 8:10 on a one-timer before Makar’s second goal of the game made it 7-2 at 9:00 with a wrist shot from the blue line.

Eklund made it 7-3 at 17:24 when he snapped in a loose puck in front of the net.

NOTES: Makar became the first defenseman in Avalanche/Nordiques history to record consecutive 50-assist seasons (69 in 2023-24). … MacKinnon became the second active player with 10 five-point games (Connor McDavid, 11). … MacKinnon tied Joe Sakic (10) for the second-most five-point games in Avalanche/Nordiques history (Peter Stastny, 12). … Makar became the fifth-fastest defenseman in NHL history to 300 career assists (378 games) behind Bobby Orr (346 games), Brian Leetch (368 games), Quinn Hughes (376 games) and Paul Coffey (377 games). … San Jose traded forward Nico Sturm to the Florida Panthers prior to morning skate and also held forward Luke Kunin and defenseman Jake Walman out of the lineup. … Colorado traded for forward Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders during the game.