San Jose Sharks vs Colorado Avalanche Match Player Stats On Dec 17, 2023

Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and two assists, Mikko Rantanen, Valeri Nichushkin, Ryan Johansen and Miles Wood also scored and the Colorado Avalanche beat the San Jose Sharks 6-2 in Denver on Sunday night.

Jonathan Drouin contributed two assists and Alexandar Georgiev turned away 26 shots for Colorado, which has won three of its past four games.

MacKinnon has a 15-game point streak -- matching a career high -- and has at least one point in all 16 Avalanche home games this season.

Tomas Hertl had two goals, Mikael Granlund had two assists and Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves for San Jose.

The Sharks played most of the game without defenseman Jacob MacDonald after he received a major penalty and a game misconduct for his hit on Sam Malinski 2:47 into the game.

Malinski was cut and bleeding but returned to the game.

Colorado took advantage of the five-minute power play when Drouin fed Nichushkin at the left side of the crease, and Nichushkin scored his 13th goal of the season at the 7:18 mark.

The Avalanche got another power play later in the first and cashed in after MacKinnon fed Rantanen in front of the net. Rantanen then sent a shot home at 12:15 to make it 2-0.

The hosts added an even-strength goal late in the first when Wood's shot from the left circle beat Blackwood high to the short side at 18:20. It was his sixth marker of the season.

MacKinnon gave Colorado a 4-0 lead 3:44 into the second period when his shot trickled through Blackwood's pads and over the goal line.

Hertl got the Sharks on the board with a power-play goal at 9:01 of the second, but the Avalanche retook a four-goal advantage nearly midway through the third when Johansen cleaned up a rebound at 9:01 for his 10th goal of the campaign.

Hertl answered soon after, scoring his second marker of the night and 11th of the season at 10:45, seven seconds into a power play.

Blackwood came off for an extra attacker with over five minutes left, and MacKinnon scored into an empty net at 15:11. It was his 14th goal of the season.

--Field Level Media