Avalanche defeat Sabres for 10th victory in row

DENVER -- Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist for the Colorado Avalanche, who extended their home winning streak to 18 games with a 4-1 victory against the Buffalo Sabres at Ball Arena on Sunday.

"Of course, it's fun winning, for sure," Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri said. "It's pretty exceptional when you look at the history of the Avs, they've had some pretty good teams, so we're humbled by that. That being said … I feel like everyone feels that we can still be a little bit better. We're finding our game. Obviously, momentum is a huge key and we hope to continue that."
Kadri and Gabriel Landeskog scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves for Colorado (32-8-3), which has won 10 straight, is 15-0-1 in its past 16 games, and is 19-0-1 in its past 20 games at home.
The Avalanche set an NHL record for the most wins in January (15) and tied the Boston Bruins (March 2014) and Pittsburgh Penguins (March 2013) for the most wins in any month.
"I've learned that we're a resilient group, pretty consistent," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "There were some games where we weren't perfect, but we've found different ways to win with different guys chipping in, which good teams do. It's been an amazing month for our guys."

Dylan Cozens scored for Buffalo (14-23-7), which is 4-5-1 in its past 10 games. Dustin Tokarski, who was activated from COVID-19 protocol Saturday, made 32 saves in his first start since Nov. 29.
"It was awesome," Tokarski said. "I love playing with those guys. It worked out nicely to get back. It was a lot of fun out there tonight. I've heard the words day to day enough to know that's what it was, but it was just a lot of making sure that nothing could get worse, that going through a couple-hour game wasn't going to make anything worse."
Landeskog made it 1-0 at 7:49 of the first period when he drove to the net and redirected Rantanen's pass inside the left post.
The Sabres tied it 1-1 at 2:37 of the second period after Jeff Skinner forced defenseman Devon Toews into a turnover behind the net and fed Cozens, who jammed the puck inside the right post.
Kadri made it 2-1 at 11:15 with a shot from the slot. Buffalo challenged for a hand pass, but the goal stood after a review determined the puck deflected off Alex Newhook's arm and not his hand. As a result, the Sabres were given a penalty for delay of game.
Rantanen scored on the ensuing power play to make it 3-1 at 13:03, converting on a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from Cale Makar, whose assist was his 100th in the NHL.

Valeri Nichushkin scored into an empty net with 1:03 left for the 4-1 final.
"It's been a lot of fun, winning a ton of hockey games," Kuemper said. "As a group, I think we've done a great job of staying even keel and humble about it. We're still trying to improve our game and it's been a lot of fun being a part of it."
NOTES:Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt left with an undisclosed injury in the first period. Coach Don Granato didn't have an update after the game. … Colorado's 18-game home winning streak is the fifth-longest in NHL history. The 2011-12 Detroit Red Wings own the record at 23. … Landeskog has scored eight points (five goals, three assists) during a five-game point streak. … Rantanen has scored 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in his past 10 games. … Kadri has scored eight points (three goals, five assists) during a four-game point streak. … Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and forward Victor Olofsson were removed from NHL COVID-19 protocol and played after testing negative Sunday. Dahlen had three shots on goal and two blocked shots in 22:05 of ice time. Olofsson had one shot in 13:28. … Bednar said center Nathan MacKinnon (facial fracture, concussion) had nose surgery and would be out until after the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 5 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. MacKinnon, who was injured Wednesday against the Boston Bruins, was scheduled to be the captain of the Central Division.