In Denver, the Calgary Flames took a 5-3 lead into the third period on Monday night and promptly surrendered three goals to the Avalanche in a 6-5 loss.
Nathan MacKinnon hit for the game-winner at 15:30 off a breakaway strike.
The Avalanche improved to 17-9-2.
Alexandar Georgiev got the start for Colorado but was given the hook in the second intermission after making 17 saves and yielding five goals.
Ivan Prosvetov made 11 saves in the third period.
“There’s a lot of good things in that game tonight. A lot,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “So, if we focus on the right things as a coaching staff, relay the right message to the guys, I would feel that that should give us some belief. It’s not easy to score in this league, right? Period. Against anybody. So, we did a nice job of it tonight.
“We got a lot of goals, so that should give us belief that we’re able to do that if we do it the right way. So, I would say I’d love to see us be able to come out and repeat our third again in two days (against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday).”
The third period rally started with a goal from Ross Colton at 11:20 to trim the deficit to 5-4.
Mikko Rantanen hit for a marker at 13:31 to tie the game, 5-5.
“We had a tough stretch in the third period there where we made a mistake with the puck, and they got a lot of momentum from that point,” Calgary coach Ryan Huska said. “So, we weren’t able to, I guess, stop the momentum from that point.”
The Flames dropped to 11-14-3
Calgary took a 1-0 lead on a strike by Nazem Kadri at 13:46 of the opening stanza; the goal was a result of turnover in the neutral zone.
The Avs’ Tomas Tatar knotted the game, 1-1, when he potted a shot at 18:14.
Cale hit off the power play at 1:43 of the middle frame to stake the Avalanche to a 2-1 lead.
Andrew Mangiapane tied it 2-2 at 5:14 with a strike from the high slot.
Blake Coleman hit from the left side at at 13:21 of the second to put the Flames ahead, 3-2.
“It just wasn’t good enough,” Coleman said. “[We] knew they’d push. They’re a good team. It’s another lead going into a third. There’s no business losing that game.”
Nathan MacKinnon had an assist in the game to push his point streak to nine games.
“I’m doing everything I can to be ready to go off the ice,” MacKinnon said. “Obviously no one sees that stuff, but that’s kind of what is making me play well on the ice right now. It’s a lot of time and effort, so I’m glad it’s paying off.
“Obviously, my job is to lead by example more than anything, and I think Cale and Mikko are all doing the same thing as well.”
Colorado’s Ben Meyers scored 14:57 to tie the game, 3-3.’
Calgary responded to the tie with a pair of goals with Connor Zary putting the Flames back in front, 4-3, at 16:19.
The Flames took their 5-3 lead in the middle frame on a marker from Yegor Sharangovich at 18:34.
Dan Vladar made 31 saves in the loss.
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