DENVER (AP) – Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, Semyon Varlamov made 32 saves and the Colorado Avalanche beat Florida 2-1 on Thursday night for their second victory over the Panthers in five days.
Colorado won 7-3 in Florida on Saturday night and swept the season series behind a strong game from MacKinnon. He had his third two-goal game and leads the Avalanche with 35 points.
MacKinnon gave Colorado a 2-1 lead when he worked his way around defenseman Aaron Ekblad, skated in on goalie James Reimer and put in a shot to the short side at 6:44 of the third period. It was MacKinnon’s team-leading 13th goal of the season.
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, right, drives past Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad on the way to scoring the go-ahead goal in the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The goal came exactly two minutes after Reimer robbed MacKinnon on the doorstep. Reimer finished with 28 saves.
The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead on MacKinnon’s first goal at 3:15 of the second. The Panthers tied it midway through the period when Jamie McGinn poked the puck away from Colorado defenseman Samuel Girard and fed Aleksander Barkov, who beat Varlamov for his 11th goal of the season.
Florida nearly took the lead moments later when Vincent Trocheck’s shot to the short side got under Varlamov’s glove, but hit the post.
NOTES: The Panthers have not allowed a power-play goal in four straight games. … Avalanche forward Alexander Kerfoot was out of the lineup for the second straight game. Kerfoot was injured when a shot by teammate Erik Johnson hit him in the foot against Pittsburgh on Monday. … Florida C Denis Malgin was scratched. He left Tuesday’s overtime loss in Chicago with an upper-body injury and didn’t return. … Colorado has allowed six short-handed goals this season, and the Panthers have scored six on the penalty kill.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Make their first trip to Vegas to play the Golden Knights on Sunday.
Avalanche: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.
___
More AP NHL hockey at https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, left, is congratulated by defensemen Anton Lindholm, second from left, of Sweden, and Mark Barberio, third from left, as left wing Gabriel Landeskog, front, also of Sweden, joins in the celebration against the Florida Panthers in the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, left, of Finland, reaches in to steal the puck from Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon who rushes downice in the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Florida Panthers goalie James Reimer, front, stops the puck as Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, of Sweden, falls into the goalie in the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, left, of Sweden, pursues the loose puck with Florida Panthers center Nick Bjugstad in the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, left, of Sweden, collides with Florida Panthers center Vincent Trocheck as they battle for control of the puck in the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner, top, directs his team against the Colorado Avalanche in the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Florida Panthers center Colton Sceviour, front, fights for position to take a pass in front of the net with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Patrik Nemeth, of Sweden, in the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.