Nathan MacKinnon put his stamp on Colorado’s season opener with two goals and a third-period fight against Los Angeles defenseman Brandt Clarke in Wednesday’s 8–4 victory at Ball Arena.
Both of MacKinnon’s goals came in the second period, helping the Avalanche keep control of a game in which their own mistakes repeatedly gave the Kings openings. Colorado carried a 6–3 lead into the third.
Artemi Panarin cut that margin to two before MacKinnon and Clarke fought. Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen subsequently scored to finish the Avalanche’s opening-night win.
The attack offered Colorado plenty to build on. The Avalanche scored four power-play goals, including three from their second unit, according to The Gazette’s game report.
The warning sign came at the other end: Los Angeles scored twice while shorthanded. MacKinnon’s production helped overcome those errors on opening night, but tightening possession on the power play remains an obvious point of emphasis.
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Kings–Avalanche final score, statistics and scoring timeline
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This page is an original Sporting Page summary. The reporting remains with Evan Rawal / The Gazette, September 30.
Read at Evan Rawal / The Gazette, September 30
