LOS ANGELES (AP) — Devon Toews scored the game-winning goal late in the third period, Martin Necas had a goal and two assists and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on Monday night.
Toews got open on a pass from Nathan MacKinnon with 4:55 left, helping the Avalanche (40-10-9) become the first NHL team to reach 40 wins this season.
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MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog each had a goal and an assist. Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves for Colorado, which has won five of seven games.
Brandt Clarke had a power-play goal, Angus Booth scored in his NHL debut and Anton Forsberg made 35 saves for the Kings, who were playing their first game since firing coach Jim Hiller on Sunday and replacing him on an interim basis with DJ Smith.
Los Angeles is also missing seven key players due to injury or illness, including Milan Cortina Games Olympic Hockey Championship medalist Drew Doughty, forward Joel Armia and goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Those absences resulted in the Kings making their NHL debuts for three players: Booth, center Kenny Connors and winger Jared Wright.
The Avalanche took advantage early, scoring twice on one-timers from MacKinnon and Landeskog in the opening 10 minutes and 13 seconds, before Los Angeles responded with a power-play goal from Clark late in the first period.
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Necas grabbed a rebound early in the second quarter and blew it away at the early buzzer, and Booth reached the top of the crease and caught Brian Dumoulin’s midcourt pass to tie the game at 2 at 8:32.
Next
Avalanche: Visit the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
Kings: Host New York Islanders on Thursday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
