Kuznetsov scores twice, Capitals defeat MacKinnon, Avalanche

WASHINGTON -- Evgeny Kuznetsov had two goals and an assist, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Colorado Avalanche 6-3 at Capital One Arena on Tuesday to spoil the season debut of Nathan MacKinnon.

The Avalanche forward missed the first two games in NHL COVID-19 protocol. He had an assist and three shots on goal in 20:16.
Alex Ovechkin scored his fourth goal of the season, into an empty net, in his 1,200th NHL game for Washington (2-0-1). Anthony Mantha scored his 100th NHL goal, Nick Jensen had a goal and an assist, and Tom Wilson had three assists. Ilya Samsonov made 24 saves.
Kuznetsov has scored six points (two goals, four assists) this season.
"The way he's playing right now is a credit to him. Just him," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "He put in the time this summer, he was on the ice all the time, he came to camp in great shape, and he started the season the right way."
Darren Helm scored his first goal for Colorado (1-2-0), and Darcy Kuemper made 34 saves.
"I thought we got outcompeted in a lot of areas, so we gave up way too much," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "We were, I would say, cheating or gambling for offense instead of working the right way to create it, and they went the other way on us."
Kuznetsov gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead at 6:15 of the first period.

J.T. Compher tied the game 1-1 when he scored a shorthanded goal unassisted at 13:46 after intercepting a Kuznetsov pass in the neutral zone.
Jensen took a return pass from fellow defenseman Dmitry Orlov on a 3-on-1 rush along with Ovechkin and scored from the right face-off circle to make it 2-1 at 16:53.
"Three-on-one, I'm not not getting a shot," Jensen said. "I feel like I was in pretty good position, so I'd rather at least throw it on net then flub a pass or have it get broken up. I had a pretty good look. It's not often I'll be passing up a pass to No. 8."
Helm tied it 2-2 when he scored off a centering pass from Logan O'Connor at 3:12 of the second period.
Mantha put Washington ahead 3-2 at 14:47 when he scored off a loose puck after Lars Eller's shot hit his skate in front.

Kuznetsov gave the Capitals a 4-2 lead at 16:41 when he skated into the left circle and shot far side for his second goal.
"That mistake I made on the power play, not even one guy said anything to me [about it] because there is a trust," Kuznetsov said. "I appreciate it. I felt bad until we get that [Jensen] goal, and then when I score second one, that's when I was like, 'OK, I get that mistake back.'"
Nic Dowd made it 5-2 when he scored on the rebound of a Jensen shot 39 seconds into the third period.
Kuemper has allowed 11 goals in three starts.
"I feel fine. Obviously, the results aren't coming right now," Kuemper said. "I'm not happy about the last two losses, but just stick with the process and I know we'll turn it around here."
With Kuemper pulled for an extra attacker, Mikko Rantanen scored a power-play goal at 16:54 to pull Colorado within 5-3, but Ovechkin scored at 17:39 for the 6-3 final.
It was Ovechkin's 734th goal, moving him within seven of tying Brett Hull for fourth in NHL history.
Linemates Rantanen and MacKinnon were minus-5.
"Oh, it impacted him immensely," Bednar said of MacKinnon's time away from the Avalanche while in COVID-19 protocol. "The other guys have been skating, working, playing in the competition. … The competitive part of the game was missing from that line tonight, and Nate was part of that, and they just weren't good enough. It wasn't just them. It was our whole team."
NOTES:Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog completed his two-game suspension for boarding Chicago Blackhawks center Kirby Dach in the third period of the season opener Oct. 13, a 4-2 win. … Colorado defenseman Jack Johnson played 12:18 in his return after missing one game in COVID-19 protocol. … Orlov had two assists.