Rantanen has 3 goals, assist for Avalanche in win against Kings

DENVER -- Mikko Rantanen had three goals and an assist to help the Colorado Avalanche rally for a 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena on Wednesday.

Nathan MacKinnon had three assists to extend his season-opening home point streak to 11 games (five goals, 20 assists) for the Avalanche (9-8-0), who have won three straight. Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist, and Alexandar Georgiev made 13 saves.

“I liked our start better tonight. I did. I know we gave up the early goal, but we answered back and we were involved in the first period,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “I thought that the intensity was there on our side. Don't love giving up the early one and playing from behind, but I did like the fact that we answered back right away.”

Adrian Kempe scored twice, and Trevor Moore and Anze Kopitar each had two assists for the Kings (9-6-3), who were held without a shot on goal in the second period. Darcy Kuemper allowed two goals on 20 shots before leaving at 4:34 of the third period with an injury. David Rittich made four saves in relief.

“They pushed, and we didn't do a very good job handling it,” Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller said. “I thought, for whatever reasons, once we got into the second period, we had a really tough time connecting on passes. Turning pucks over because we just couldn't get ourselves out of the D-zone.”

Rantanen began his natural hat trick by tying it 2-2 on a breakaway at 16:07 of the second period. Cale Makar hit Rantanen with a stretch pass at the opposite blue line from inside the Avalanche zone, and he finished with a snap shot over the blocker.

“Great pass, first of all,” Rantanen said. “They had a turnover high in the O-zone, and I cut my route. Great pass by Cale, and then [it was] high speed. The 'D' was right behind me. So, I don't think I had too much time to think about a move or deke. So I just tried to go blocker side, and this time [it] went in.”

Rantanen put the Avalanche ahead 3-2 at 10:01 of the third period with a snap shot from the slot that beat Rittich five-hole.

“Chemistry kind of builds through the years, and I remember playing with Nate my rookie year. I could feel right away we think the game a similar way,” Rantanen said of linemate MacKinnon. “I enjoy playing with him, for sure. Best player in the world, and [he makes] it easy for me. So, I just try to make the right plays and help him produce and produce myself too.”

Rantanen completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal at 18:01 for the 4-2 final.

Kempe gave the Kings a 1-0 lead 32 seconds into the first period when he stuffed in the rebound of his initial shot at the top of the crease.

"Really good start from us in the first period. Obviously, they came out better in the second,” Kempe said. “I think we kind of bounced back in third period. Had some chances back.

“It's frustrating, but if there's something that we’ve got to take with us, it's creating offense.”

Lehkonen tied it 1-1 at 3:40, chipping in the rebound of Rantanen’s shot over the leg of Kuemper.

Kempe made it 2-1 at 15:51 with a one-timer from below the right circle into an open net off a cross-ice pass from Kopitar.

“Puck hasn't gone in for me as much as I want it to. So I just tried to stay around the net, go to the net a little bit more,” Kempe said. “Great play by 'Mooresy' to ‘Kopi,’ and then 'Kopi,' he's always looking for me, even when he has a shot. So, it's a great play by them. I'm happy I could put that in.”

NOTES: There was no update on Kuemper’s injury after the game. … Kings defenseman Caleb Jones left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury. … MacKinnon and Rantanen each had an assist on the same goal for the 98th time, passing Peter and Anton Stastny for the most by a duo in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history. … Rantanen scored his ninth NHL hat trick, passing Sebastian Aho and Tomas Sandstrom for the fourth-most by a Finland-born player (Jari Kurri, 23; Teemu Selanne, 22; and Patrik Laine, 10). … Rantanen passed Peter Stastny and Gabriel Landeskog (43) for the fifth-most game-winning goals in Avalanche/Nordiques history.