SAN JOSE, Calif. — Nathan MacKinnon scored his second aim of the sport 3:13 into additional time, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Tuesday night time to clinch a playoff spot.
Jack Johnson and Evan Rodrigues additionally scored for Colorado. Devon Toews and Mikko Rantanen every had two assists, and MacKinnon additionally had one. Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves for his thirty sixth win of the season.
“Huge two points, and I liked the way our guys played. I thought we competed hard right from the start of the game,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar stated. “Obviously, things got tight in the third period, but we continued to play, and you know, we fought the puck at times.”
Kevin Labanc had two targets, Jacob Peterson additionally scored, and Logan Couture added two assists for San Jose. Kaapo Kahkonen completed with 38 saves.
“We’re just all competitors. It doesn’t matter if we’re in it or not. We’re competing every single game. We compete to win, and we compete for each other,” Labanc stated. (Some) guys are taking part in for contracts. Guys are taking part in to maneuver up within the lineup, make a great displaying for themselves for subsequent yr. We’re all working onerous. We’re all competing.”
In the additional interval, MacKinnon bought a cross from Toews on the proper aspect, skated in on Kahkonen on a breakaway, and fired a shot previous the goalie’s blocker aspect for his 36 aim and a centesimal level of the season.
PHOTOS: MacKinnon scores 2, leads Avalanche previous Sharks 4-3 in OT
“Yeah, it’s good. Tons of amazing players on this team helped me a ton,” MacKinnon stated. “Obviously, I don’t need to say the names, but everyone has helped me a lot throughout the season. So it’s fun to get it for sure.”
Peterson scored on the facility play at 5:50 of the third as he bought a cross in entrance from Danil Gushchin and shortly beat Kahkonen for his second of the season to tug the Sharks to 3-2.
Labanc bought his second of the sport and fifteenth of the season to tie it simply 1:21 later as he jumped on a free puck in entrance, turned, and fired it previous Georgiev.
“A little bit of frustration, but really proud of the way we competed and the way we played — especially after what happened the last time we played these guys,” Sharks coach David Quinn stated. “I really thought we came with an effort and a compete that we’re going to need from here on in.”
Johnson began the scoring 4:29 into the sport as he took a shot from the purpose that deflected off a Sharks defender and into the online. It was his second.
Rodrigues scored 1:55 later for his fifteenth to present Colorado a 2-0 lead. After Mikko Rantanen hit the publish earlier, Rodrigues was capable of spin and put a rebound in.
Labanc beat Georgiev over his glove off a rush to place the Sharks on the scoreboard together with his 14th with 7:05 left within the second. Erik Karlsson earned the secondary help on the play, giving him 96 factors.
With 2:06 to go within the second body, MacKinnon fired a shot via Kahkonen’s five-hole to push Colorado’s result in 3-1 with 2:06 left within the center interval.
“We outplayed them. Even our power play,” MacKinnon stated. “We had so many chances to keep going, and hopefully, we can bury one, but yeah, I thought we played a pretty solid game.”
MILESTONES
Kahkonen has now performed in 100 profession NHL video games. … Avalanche ahead Logan O’Connor performed in his two hundredth profession recreation.
UP NEXT
The groups meet once more Thursday night time in San Jose.
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