5-goal second period shoots Avalanche past Flames

Mikko Rantanen collected two goals and two assists, while Valeri Nichushkin scored once in a three-point outing as the visiting Colorado Avalanche rode a five-goal second period to a 6-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

Nathan MacKinnon netted one goal and one assist, while Josh Manson and Casey Mittelstadt added singles for the Avalanche, who have won four straight games. Goaltender Justus Annunen made 25 saves and Devon Toews collected two assists.

MacKinnon is riding 13-game point streak in which he's netted nine goals and 28 points. Rantanen is on a 10-game run with four goals and 18 points.

Daniil Miromanov and Walker Duehr replied for the Flames, who have lost three straight games. Goaltender Dan Vladar stopped 29 shots before receiving a mercy hook after two periods. Dustin Wolf made three saves in relief.

With the Flames up 2-1, the Avalanche broke the game open with a dominant second period. Manson tied the clash at 4:52 when his point shot was deflected by a defender for this seventh goal of the season.

MacKinnon gave Colorado the lead for good 58 seconds later with a rocket of a one-timer from the left circle for his 41st of the campaign, and then Nichushkin made his 500th career game more memorable by tallying off the rush at 7:53 of the period, his 24th of the season.

Mittelstadt extended the lead on a partial breakaway at the 14:10 mark for his 15th of the campaign, and his first since being acquired from Buffalo just before the trade deadline.

Rantanen capped the frame with a sharp-angled, bar-down wrist shot with 45.4 seconds remaining in the period to pot his 33rd of the season.

Nothing changed in the third period.

Despite Colorado's dominance, the Flames actually had the lead at the first intermission. After Rantanaen's power-play goal opened the scoring at the 2:05 mark, Miromanov — who was acquired by Calgary from the Vegas Golden Knights before the trade deadline — converted a point shot 3:24 into the period for his first goal of the season.

Duehr put the hosts ahead when he snapped a 30-goal drought by lifting a back-hand shot from the slot for his second goal of the campaign at 6:46 of the first.

—Field Level Media