O’Connor, Colton help Avalanche pull away late to beat Senators

DENVER (AP) — Logan O’Connor and Ross Colton scored 1:32 apart in a high-scoring third period, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Sunday night for their fifth straight win.

Nikolai Kovalenko scored his first NHL goal for Colorado, which had to survive a furious rally from Ottawa to get its second win at home. Josh Manson scored his first goal of the season for the Avalanche, who have bounced back from an 0-4-0 start to the NHL season.

The Senators trailed 2-0 when Brady Tkachuk and Nick Cousins scored 2:08 apart midway through the third. O’Connor and Colton answered to restore the two-goal lead but Claude Giroux answered at 16:48.

Ottawa pulled Anton Forsberg for an extra skater and Nathan MacKinnon scored into an empty net at 18:45. Giroux’s second of the night made it a one-goal game in the final 13 seconds.

MacKinnon has a point in all nine games to start the season for the second time in his career. He also did it in the 2017-18 season.

Justus Annunen has been in net for Colorado’s last four wins making 26 saves against Ottawa. He has earned the bulk of the workload with Alexandar Georgiev struggling.

UP NEXT

Senators: Host the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

Avalanche: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.