Mackenzie Blackwood made 26 saves for his second straight shutout, Josh Manson and Joel Kiviranta scored nine seconds apart, and the surging Colorado Avalanche beat the San Jose Sharks 6-0 in Denver on Wednesday night.
The Avalanche ran their winning streak to 10 games.
It was the third straight shutout for Colorado, which ties the franchise record set Nov. 14-18, 2001, when Patrick Roy was in net for all three games.
Avalanche goaltenders have not allowed a goal for 189 minutes, 42 seconds.
Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist each, Ross Colton and Sam Malinski also scored and Martin Necas added two assists for Colorado, which has taken only one regulation loss in its first 23 games (17-1-5).
The Avalanche’s 10-game winning streak is tied for the second longest in franchise history. Colorado also won 10 straight from Jan. 14-30, 2022, a season when it won the Stanley Cup, and from Dec. 29, 2017 to Jan. 22, 2018. The franchise record is a 12-game run in the 1998-99 season.
Kiviranta was back in the lineup after missing the previous 17 games with a lower-body injury. Ivan Ivan, who assisted on Kiviranta’s goal, made his season debut.
San Jose goalie Alex Nedeljkovic turned away 21 of 23 shots in relief of Yarolsav Askarov, who allowed four goals on 19 shots.
Colton started the scoring when he beat Askarov 3:39 after the opening faceoff, and MacKinnon’s power-play goal at 19:07 of the first gave Colorado a 2-0 lead.
It was MacKinnon’s NHL-best 18th goal of the season. MacKinnon also tops the league with 39 points.
The Avalanche broke it open early in the second period with three goals in a span of 1:16. Malinski scored on a snap shot at 3:44, and Manson made it 4-0 when his shot from the left point went through a double screen and by Askarov at 4:51.
Nedeljkovic replaced Askarov, and Colorado scored on the first shot he faced when Kiviranta floated the puck in from right in front of the crease.
The Sharks stepped up the pressure after the fifth goal but couldn’t get one by Blackwood despite having four power-play opportunities.
Lehkonen capped the scoring with a goal at 16:15 of the third period.
–Field Level Media
