Valeri Nichushkin returns as Avalanche dump Devils

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists as the Colorado Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 5-1 in Denver on Wednesday night.

Artturi Lehkonen, Casey Mittelstadt and Logan O'Connor also scored for Colorado, which ended a two-game skid. Martin Necas had three assists, Cale Makar contributed two assists and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 22 shots.

Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin, who missed 21 games, was back in action for the first time since Dec. 31. He had five shots on goal in 17:46 of ice time.

Jack Hughes scored and Jake Allen made 31 saves for the Devils, who have alternated wins and losses over their past 10 games.

As they did in their previous two games, the Avalanche scored first. Necas and MacKinnon battled on the backboards with two New Jersey defenders, and the puck came out to the front where Lehkonen got it. He stickhandled to the front of the net and slid a backhander through Allen's pads at 8:54 of the first period.

The Devils dominated the start of the second period and held Colorado without a shot for more than six minutes. The Avalanche generated chances late in the frame and nearly got another one by Allen. MacKinnon took a shot that trickled through Allen and toward the goal line before it was cleared away.

Minutes later, Jonathan Drouin's shot deflected through Allen but went just wide, keeping it a one-goal game heading into the third.

The Avalanche added to their lead early in the third period. Luke Hughes went off for slashing at 1:29, giving Colorado its third power play of the game. At 2:57, Necas took a shot from the point that ricocheted off Allen's right pad to MacKinnon below the circle, and he put it in.

The Devils responded at 8:28 when Luke Hughes fed Jack Hughes in the slot for a one-timer that beat Blackwood.

The Avalanche put it away with three goals in a span of 4:04. MacKinnon made it 3-1 when he knocked a puck out of the air and in at 14:14 on a power play. Mittelstadt's backhander at 16:40 made it a three-goal game, and O'Connor finished the flurry at 18:18.

--Field Level Media