Nichushkin, Avalanche hold off Rangers for fifth straight win

DENVER -- Valeri Nichushkin scored two goals for the Colorado Avalanche in a 4-2 win against the New York Rangers at Ball Arena on Tuesday.

"He's stepping up at the right time," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "We're getting timely goals from different guys every night. That's how you win hockey games, you make plays when the game's on the line. It's what you need to be a top team in this League.
"He's such a team guy, an unselfish guy; you want those guys to have success. He's carved out a real important role on our team."
Nazem Kadri had three assists, Nathan MacKinnon had two assists, and Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves for Colorado (17-7-2), which has won five straight games and gone 6-0-1 in the past seven.
"It feels good," MacKinnon said of defeating the Rangers after defeating another top Eastern Conference team, the Florida Panthers, 3-2 on Sunday. "We feel we're a top team too, no surprise there. I think we can play with anybody."

Julien Gauthier and Ryan Strome scored, and Alexandar Georgiev made 26 saves for New York (18-7-3), which has lost three of its past four games after winning the previous seven.
"I thought we played a good hard game," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. "We played against a real good hockey team that plays really fast. We made a couple of mistakes, but overall we played a good game."
The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead at 12:18 of the first period. Andre Burakovsky fed MacKinnon, who skated around the net and passed to Mikko Rantanen for a tap-in at the left side of the crease.
Cale Makar made it 2-0 at 18:11 with a point shot after a MacKinnon pass with J.T. Compher screening Georgiev for his career-high 13th goal, which leads NHL defenseman.
"I guess the pucks just seem to be going in right now," Makar said. "I don't think this is going to continue throughout the year. I think it's a little bit heavy pace right now. It seems cliché, but a lot of credit goes back to guys moving the puck well and then creating lanes for everybody. Even the goal that I scored tonight -- Compher just in front of the net, it doesn't go in if he's not there."

The Rangers cut it to 2-1 at 10:36 of the second period. Adam Fox passed to Strome at the left post for a redirection over Kuemper.
The Avalanche made it 3-1 at 18:45. Kadri's shot bounced off Compher in the slot and Nichushkin swept the loose puck into a half-open net.
"He's a tenacious player," Makar said of Nichushkin. "He's big and being on the forecheck he's been able to create opportunities for his line. Val's a pretty special player and we're very lucky to have him."
Gauthier made it 3-2 with 2:02 left in the third period. With Georgiev pulled for a sixth attacker, Dryden Hunt took a shot that Kuemper stopped, but he couldn't corral the loose puck as he sprawled on the ice and Gauthier put it into the open net.
Nichushkin scored on a breakaway with 37 seconds remaining for the 4-2 final.

Compher scored on a power play at 12:30 of the third, but a video review after a challenge by Rangers coach Gerard Gallant determined that Compher interfered with Georgiev and the goal was disallowed.
"You're going to go through [difficult] stretches in the season," Strome said. "That's part of playing in the NHL. It's a great opportunity for growth. When things are going well sometimes you get a little complacent and sometimes it's a little bit of a reality check. Tonight, although it's a loss, the effort was there."
NOTES: Rangers defenseman Nils Lundkvist missed his second game with a non-COVID 19 illness. … Rangers forward Artemi Panarin had an assist, giving him 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in his past nine games. … Fox also had an assist and has 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) in his past 11 games. … Kadri returned after missing two games with a lower-body injury. … Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews is in COVID-19 protocol after testing positive and will be out until after Christmas, Bednar said. … Avalanche defenseman Justin Barron played 9:10 in his NHL debut after he was recalled from Colorado of the American Hockey League. He had one hit, one takeaway and was plus-1. … MacKinnon has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in a seven-game point streak. … Rantanen has nine points (three goals, six assists) in a five-game streak. … Colorado has won eight straight at home. … Bednar said defenseman Jacob MacDonald, who was taken off the ice on a stretcher against the Florida Panthers on Sunday, is improving. MacDonald was injured on a hit by Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg at 2:14 of the second period. "He's doing better, he's doing good," Bednar said. "I talked to him this morning and he was up and about, doing good, so hopefully on the way to recovery."