Joel Kiviranta's leads Avalanche's comeback against Sharks

Joel Kiviranta scored two third-period goals to help the visiting Colorado Avalanche earn a 4-2 come-from-behind victory against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

Valeri Nichushkin scored the first of Colorado's three goals in the final period. Mikko Rantanen also scored, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar had two assists each and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves for Colorado, which has won five of seven.

Carl Grundstrom and William Eklund scored second-period goals, Luke Kunin assisted on both markers and Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves for the Sharks, who have dropped six of their past seven.

Georgiev was traded from the Avalanche to the Sharks on Dec. 9 in exchange for Blackwood.

Rantanen netted a one-timer from a sharp angle off a feed from MacKinnon while on a power play to tie it 2-2 at 8:26 of the third period.

Kiviranta scored with a wrist shot from the left circle to finish a rush and give Colorado a 3-2 lead at 13:06.

Kiviranta hit the net again with a one-timer from the inside edge of the right circle to make it 4-2 at 15:58.

Georgiev gave up a goal on the first shot he faced.

Grundstrom was in the penalty box for high-sticking Samuel Girard when Makar took a wrist shot from above the hash marks that went wide. The puck caromed off the end boards and Nichushkin backhanded it under Georgiev's left pad for a 1-0 lead at 3:40 of the first period.

The Sharks tied it 1-1 at 4:26 of the second period.

Blackwood made a right pad save on a shot by Jan Rutta from above the hash marks, but the rebound came out sideways to Grundstrom, who swiped the puck into the net for his first goal of the season.

San Jose moved ahead 2-1 at 9:29 when a bouncing puck came to Eklund at the bottom of the right circle and he fired it into the net.

Colorado challenged for a missed high stick by Eklund prior to the goal, but the goal was upheld after a review. San Jose was on an unsuccessful on the power play resulting from the ensuing delay-of-game penalty, and the Sharks finished 0-for-4 with the man advantage on the night.

--Field Level Media