In Denver, the Avalanche scored three times in the third period on Tuesday to end a back and forth game with the New Jersey Devils with a 6-3 win.
The two teams entered the final stanza tied at 3-3.
Mikko Rantanen hit for a double and three points in the win.
Alexandar Georgiev made 20 saves in the victory.
“We’ve been talking a lot about what we need to do to have success, and at times we’re inconsistent with how much commitment we’re putting on our checking game,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “It’s just hard work and commitment to check the right way. I believe it leads to a lot of offense. I think our guys believe in that, too. Early in the year, there’s a little learning curve on remembering how hard the League is and how committed you have to be, and I thought our big guys led the way with that tonight.”
The Avs improved to 8-3-0.
In the third period outburst by the Avs,Ryan Johansen scored first at 7:37 for a 4-3 lead.
“He gets it in the slot, he didn’t rush it. Probably surveyed the ice to see if he could dish it off to someone, couldn’t, and then still found a way to put it in,” Bednar said. “He’s a really patient player.”
Nathan MacKinnon followed up at 9:45 for a 5-3 advantage.
“Nate was a little snakebitten and he finally puts one in, and Mikko was great and he puts one in,” Bednar said. “I thought, as a whole, our top guys really led the way to kind of set the tone for the group.”
Rantanen ended the scoring with an empty-net strike at 18:33 with this second of the game, and the 6-3 final.
New Jersey took a 1-0 lead on a marker from Tyler Toffoli at 3:43.
Rantanen first of the game tied it, 1-1, in the 16th minute of the period.
The middle frame featured the back and forth with each club scoring twice.
Ross Colton scored at 2:25 of the second to give the Avs a 2-1 lad.
Colton was assessed a five-minute major, game misconduct, and two minute minor for crosschecking in the frame, giving New Jersey a seven minute power play.
“I’ll live with the call. After the fact, honestly, I didn’t even see that until I watched on replay, but Meier turns back to go at Colton and he’s coming at him with his stick high,” Bednar said. “You got to defend yourself and your stick’s got to go up unless you want to take one in the teeth. So it’s what he does. … You try and live through it.”
Timo Meier tied the game, 2-2, on the ensuing two-skater advantage, but Miles Wood scored shorthanded for the Avs to give them a 3-2 lead.
“I’ve shot on Vitek for about three years now, so just saw glove side there and just kind of went for it,” said Wood, who played his first seven NHL seasons with the Devils. “We didn’t play our best in Vegas there, so to have that response tonight and to beat a great 
team is spectacular.”
Dougie Hamilton scored off the same power play set up for New Jersey to knot the game, 3-3, headed into the third.
Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves in the loss.
“We had the chance, we went on the power play for a while there,” Meier said. “Gave up one there, but you know we got two on the power play, but I think … we just have to do a better job at the end. You know, they outworked us, and like I said, we didn’t manage the puck well enough. They got above us, and yeah, we have to clean that up.”
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