Avalanche dominate Devils in 5-2 comeback at Ball Arena

Denver, Colo., residents watched the Colorado Avalanche erase an early deficit and take control of Wednesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils at Ball Arena. The Avs won the contest 5-2, a result that stands in sharp contrast to their loss to the same team eight days prior in Northern New Jersey.

Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 20 shots to earn the victory. Captain Gabe Landeskog recorded a power-play goal and extended his team-leading total of hits. The Avalanche outshot the Devils 44 to 22 for the full sixty minutes. New Jersey had played the previous night in Dallas, while Colorado had rest.

The second period proved decisive for the home team. Jaden Schwartz passed to Landeskog at the right post at 10:58 of the middle period. The goal was Landeskog’s fifth of the season and gave the Avs a 2-1 lead. Colorado dominated the shot clock during this stretch, outshooting New Jersey 21 to 6 in the period alone.

The Avalanche pulled away in the third period. Nazem Kadri scored at 2:45 after collecting a rebound from a Brent Burns shot. Kelly Parker added another goal just 62 seconds later, finishing a rush started by a Burns pass. Nathan MacKinnon and Jaden Schwartz scored on back-to-back shifts late in the frame to secure the final margin.

New Jersey scored the only goal of the first period while Colorado was on the power play. Connor Brown intercepted a pass and started a rush that ended with the puck slipping past Blackwood. It marked the fourth shorthanded goal allowed by the Avs this season, tying the league lead for the most such goals conceded.

Colorado has struggled on the man advantage so far this year. The team ranks 31st in the league in shot attempts per 60 minutes at five-on-four, according to Natural Stat Trick. They have recorded only seven power-play goals, with two coming at five-on-three and three from the second unit against the Kings on opening night.

The Avs came into this game after a 6-2 loss in Nashville on Saturday. It was the third time in four games that the team underperformed expectations. Josh Manson left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return. Coach Jared Bednar said Manson will miss some time.

Nicolas Roy returned from a lower-body injury for this matchup. The lineup was otherwise healthy, with only Zachary L’Heureux listed as out due to an upper-body issue. The team had entered the night as its healthiest unit of the season.