DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche remain atop the NHL with yet another victory over a hot team.
Ross Colton and Victor Olofsson scored 79 seconds apart in the second period to give Colorado a lead it never let go of in a 4–1 win over the New York Islanders on Sunday at Ball Arena. The game grew rough and physical at times, but the Avalanche responded with poise. Martin Nečas and Brock Nelson added insurance goals, and Scott Wedgewood stopped 28 of 29 shots in another steady outing.
Emil Heineman opened
the scoring for New York with a deflection, but that was all the Islanders managed. Ilya Sorokin delivered several sharp saves but took the loss with 24 stops.
First Period
The Islanders grabbed an early lead just 2:05 in. Heineman redirected a shot past Wedgewood with his right skate. It initially looked like a kicking motion, but after review, officials confirmed it as a good goal.
Tensions climbed when Jack Drury returned to the bench shaking his hand after an uncalled slash. New York’s momentum didn’t last long. At 4:56, Scott Mayfield clipped Nelson in the face with a high stick, drawing Colorado’s first power play. The Avalanche generated a couple of clean looks but couldn’t convert.
Midway through the period, Gavin Brindley nearly broke free for a chance, but Matthew Barzal disrupted the play with a poke check and turned it into a rush the other way — a shot Wedgewood turned aside.
For most of the frame, Colorado struggled to control play as the Islanders dictated the tempo. After 20 minutes, New York led 1–0 with shots tied at seven apiece.
Second Period
Early in the period, Samuel Girard attempted to clear the puck from the front of the net, but his pass was intercepted, leading to multiple dangerous chances. Wedgewood bailed out the Avalanche with key stops, including a sharp one on Bo Horvat.
Moments later, Cale Makar hit Colton in stride off the rush. Colton powered down the left wing with Adam Pelech chasing and snapped a shot past Sorokin to tie the game. Just 1:29 later, Olofsson redirected a point shot from Sam Malinski, quickly flipping the game in Colorado’s favor.
Parker Kelly was called for interference shortly after the eight-minute mark for bumping Alexander Romanov — seconds after Romanov had knocked Kelly down with no whistle. Kelly slammed his stick against the glass in frustration, and both Makar and Devon Toews voiced their displeasure toward the officials. The penalty kill, however, stood tall.
A few minutes later, the Avalanche got a power play after Ryan Pulock clipped Kelly with a high stick, but again, the unit couldn’t cash in.
With under three minutes left, the Islanders held an 18–15 shot advantage. Moments later, Mayfield punched Nečas in the mouth after the whistle — a blatant shot officials let go, much to the Avalanche bench’s irritation.
Late in the period, Makar saved a sure goal by hooking Matthew Schaefer from behind as Schaefer closed in on a wide-open net. And then the home team took the 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
Third Period
Colorado opened the period needing to finish 1:07 on Makar’s penalty. Horvat fired from the left circle, but Wedgewood flashed the glove to keep it out. After the kill, Kyle Palmieri worked his way into the zone for another dangerous look, and Wedgewood shut the door again.
The final period quickly became heated. Mayfield tried to push around Brindley, who answered by catching him in the face with a cross-check, earning a high-sticking call. Then Brent Burns threw Heineman to the ice, which sent Anders Lee tumbling as well. Lee proceeded to drop the gloves with Josh Manson — and Manson ended the fight almost instantly with a clean right hand. Both received majors, and Lee took an extra roughing penalty.
With 8:30 remaining, shots were even at 23 each, and the tension made it feel like either team could change the game with a single play. After back-and-forth shifts, Makar jumped into the rush and fired a shot that Sorokin turned aside.
Colorado had to grind through the closing minutes. Nečas was called for delay of game for sending the puck over the glass, and with roughly 1:40 left, New York pulled Sorokin for a 6-on-4 advantage. Horvat unloaded a one-timer from the right circle, but Wedgewood came through yet again.
The Avalanche survived the extended kill, and from there, they finished the job. Nečas buried an empty-netter, and Burns set up Nelson for another to lock down the 4–1 win.
Once again, the Avalanche were not to be beaten yet again. The Islanders arrived on a four-game winning streak, but left with nothing.
Next Game
After several more days off the Avalanche (13-1-5) take on the visiting New York Rangers (10-8-2) on Thursday at Ball Arena. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.
