NHL roundup: MacKinnon has goal and 3 assists as Avalanche beat Lightning 6-3

Guentzel’s goal with 42.7 seconds left in the second period made it 4-2. The Avalanche unsuccessfully challenged the play for a missed stoppage. The Lightning went on the power play but couldn’t score. They struggled on the power play all evening.

MacKinnon’s goal with 15:42 remaining gave Colorado a 5-2 cushion. Necas sealed it with a late empty-net tally.

Logan O’Connor returned to the lineup after missing the start of the season with a lower-body injury. He recently lost his father, Myles, a former NHL defenceman, at age 59.

The game featured the league’s currently longest-tenured coaches in Jon Cooper and Jared Bednar. Cooper took over the Lightning in March 2013 and has won two Stanley Cups. Bednar was hired by Colorado in August 2016 and captured one Cup — in 2022 over the Lightning.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Friday:

CANADIENS 4 BLACKHAWKS 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Evans scored twice and assisted on Kaiden Guhle’s goal and Montreal beat Chicago 4-1.

Evans’ third point, a feed to Guhle with 1:34 left in the second period, matched his career high. Montreal is 4-1-1 in its last six games, while Chicago has dropped two straight and four of its last six.

A wide-open game tightened up late in the first period, which worked to Montreal’s advantage. Chicago opened the scoring on Connor Bedard’s second goal of the season 4:23 in, but the Canadiens began to control the play, and by mid-period were limiting Chicago’s chances.

Jacob Fowler, who made 20 saves, was lightly tested the rest of the game despite five Chicago power plays, and needed to make only three saves in the final period.

Evans’ first goal of the game and season tied it with 2:31 left in the first. His second, a wrist shot over goalie Spencer Knight’s stick side with the Canadiens skating short-handed, gave Montreal a 2-1 lead 7:51 into the second period.

Guhle also beat Knight on the stick side, his shot from the left point screened by Josh Anderson.

Mike Matheson added an empty-net goal with 2:38 remaining.

Knight stopped 24 shots.

The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

NHL roundup: MacKinnon has goal and 3 assists as Avalanche beat Lightning 6-3

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