DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon was one of six players to score for Colorado and the Avalanche beat the Florida Panthers 6-2 on Thursday night.
Sam Malinsky, Brock Nelson, Gavin Brindley, Artturi Raikkonen and captain Gabriel Landeskog also scored. Thirteen different players on the Avalanche scored at least one point.
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Colorado (22-2-7) currently has a league-leading 51 points this season, becoming just the sixth team in the past 20 years to reach the 50-point mark in 31 games or fewer.
Before the game, the Avalanche paid tribute to the 1995-96 Stanley Cup team that captured the Mile High City’s first major professional sports championship. The Avalanche had moved to town from Quebec before that season and swept Florida State in the finals.
Noah Gregor and Mikey Samoskevich scored for the Panthers. Daniil Tarasov was kept busy for the Avalanche’s offense, finishing with 36 saves, including stopping MacKinnon on the penalty kill.
The Panthers looked sluggish after playing Utah State the night before and beating the Mammoths 4-3 – Malinsky scored 1:14 into the game. The game kicks off a tough stretch for the Panthers, who have played 10 straight games against last season’s playoff team.
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MacKinnon’s second-period goal was his 392nd career goal, surpassing Joe Sakic (391 goals) to become the leading scorer in Avalanche history. Sakic scored a franchise-high 625 goals in his career with the Norse and Avalanche.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves for Colorado.
Brindley had a goal and an assist in his first game since Nov. 20. Brindley was out injured and his goal was assisted by 40-year-old Brent Burns. Brindley wasn’t even born when Burns was drafted in 2003.
Next
Panthers: At Dallas on Saturday.
Avalanche: Host Nashville on Saturday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl