DENVER — Logan O’Connor and Ross Colton scored 1:32 apart in a high-scoring third period, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Sunday night for their fifth straight win.
Nikolai Kovalenko scored his first NHL goal for Colorado, which had to survive a furious rally from Ottawa to get its second win at home. Josh Manson scored his first goal of the season for the Avalanche, who have bounced back from an 0-4-0 start to the season.
The Senators trailed 2-0 when Brady Tkachuk and Nick Cousins scored 2:08 apart midway through the third. O’Connor and Colton answered to restore the two-goal lead but Claude Giroux answered at 16:48.
Ottawa pulled Anton Forsberg for an extra skater and Nathan MacKinnon scored into an empty net at 18:45. Giroux’s second of the night made it a one-goal game in the final 13 seconds.
Senators: Ottawa has been able to score goals but not win. The Senators nearly rallied from three down Friday night in Dallas and couldn’t finish a comeback Sunday night.
Avalanche: Goalie Justus Annunen has been in net for Colorado's last four wins and has seemingly taken over the No. 1 spot from struggling Alexandar Georgiev. Annunen made 26 saves
The Senators played musical goaltenders early in the second period. Forsberg went to the bench with an equipment problem that wasn’t quickly resolved, so Linus Ullmark came in. Forsberg returned at the next stoppage but left less than two minutes later. He returned midway through the period.
MacKinnon has a point in all nine games to start the season for the second time in his career. He also did it in the 2017-18 season.
The Senators return home to play St. Louis on Tuesday night while the Avalanche host Chicago on Monday night.
