Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Monday 19 March 2018
MacKinnon scores twice, Avalanche beat reeling Red Wings 5-1

By PAT GRAHAM driving force to our offense
AP Sports Writer and it's consistent."
DENVER (AP) — This illus- Justin Abdelkader had a
trates just how well things goal for the Red Wings, who
have been going for fell to 0-9-1 during a win-
Nathan MacKinnon: He less streak in which they've
fanned on a shot, got it been outscored by a 41-19
back, skated to the other margin. It's the team's lon-
side, launched the puck gest winless streak since a
toward the net, hit a de- 12-game run in 1989.
fender and in it goes. "We're so far back, but ev-
"Lucky," he said. ery time we put on the Red
They all count the same. Wings logo, you go out and
MacKinnon kept up his tor- play the hardest you can,"
rid scoring with two goals captain Henrik Zetterberg
and an assist, Semyon Var- said.
lamov was sharp in mak- Varlamov showed no signs
ing 37 saves and the Colo- of fatigue despite playing
rado Avalanche extended in his 17th straight game (15
Detroit's skid to 10 straight starts). He's been pressed
games by beating the Red into more duty of late with
Wings 5-1 on Sunday. backup Jonathan Bernier
Gabriel Landeskog, Blake sidelined by a concussion.
Comeau and Tyson Bar- Barrie's goal late in the third Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon skates against Detroit Red Wings right wing An-
thony Mantha (39) during the first period of an NHL hockey game on Sunday, March 18, 2018, in
rie also scored to help the came with a two-man ad- Denver.
Avalanche remain in play- vantage and extended his Associated Press
off position with 10 games points streak to 10 straight
remaining. games. Abdelkader, who
The Avs have 86 points af- was in the penalty box, was
ter finishing with a league- given a misconduct after
low 48 last season. the goal and sent to the
"I like the way we're play- locker room. He slammed
ing. A lot of good. There's his stick on the way out.
a lot of good," Avalanche "It's frustration. It's not fun,"
coach Jared Bednar said. Abdelkader said. "We've
"We're competing harder just got to continue to stick
than we've competed all together here. It's not one
year I feel like during this guy, it's not two guys, it's
stretch. There's a sense of not three guys that are go-
urgency to our game." ing to do it. It's a team of
MacKinnon remains among 20."
the league's top scoring Colorado remains tough at
leaders with 89 points. His home, improving to 15-2-1
goal in the second period over its last 18 games at the
gave Colorado a 3-0 lead Pepsi Center.
and came on a backhand The Avs scored on a pair of
with Niklas Kronwall trying tip-ins during a dominant
to cover him. first period — one by Lan-
The defenseman couldn't. deskog and another by
The 22-year-old MacKinnon Comeau.
sealed the win with his 38th An injury-riddled Colorado
of the season in the third team received a big boost
period — on a wraparound with defenseman Erik John-
that hit off a Detroit defen- son and forward Vladislav
seman and deflected in. Kamenev returning to the
It's just the way things have ice Sunday. It didn't take
been going for him. Johnson long to make his
Soon after, he was sere- presence felt, dishing out a
naded with "MVP" chants. big hit in the opening sec-
His coach doesn't disagree onds. He's been sidelined
after MacKinnon became by an upper-body injury
the first Colorado player to since he was hurt against
score more than 36 goals Edmonton on Feb. 18.
in a season since 2002-03, Kamenev has been out
when Milan Hejduk had 50. since November with a
"I can't imagine there's an- broken arm. He was ac-
other player that means quired as part of the three-
more to their team and team trade that sent Matt
doing more for their team Duchene to Ottawa.
than what Nate's doing for "Right now we are feel-
us," Bednar said. "That's just ing very confident," Barrie
the way I see it. He is the said.q