Kiviranta scores 2 3rd-period goals to lift Avalanche past Sharks

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Joel Kiviranta had two third-period goals, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves as the Colorado Avalanche rallied past the San Jose Sharks 4-2 at SAP Center on Thursday.

Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev reaches for the puck but can’t stop the goal by Mikko Rantanen (not pictured) – Photo by Jack Lima

Blackwood returned to San Jose for the first time since being traded to the Avalanche on Dec. 9, along with forward Givani Smith and a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Alexandar Georgiev, sent from Colorado to San Jose in the trade along with Nikolai Kovalenko, a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, started for the Sharks and made 27 saves.

Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev lunges to make a pad save as Parker Kelly (17) looks for a rebound – Photo by Jack Lima

Mikko Rantanen scored a goal to extend his points streak to seven games (four goals, nine assists). Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon each had two assists for the Avalanche (19-15-0), who are 5-2-0 in their last seven games.

William Eklund and Carl Grundstrom scored for the Sharks (11-19-5), who have lost three straight and six of seven.

Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev gets beat by a shot by Joel Kiviranta (not pictured) for the eventual game winning goal – Photo by Jack Lima

Valeri Nichushkin put the Avalanche ahead 1-0 at 3:40 of the first period with a power-play goal. Makar took a wrist shot from center point that rebounded hard off the end boards for Nichushkin to poke past Georgiev.

Grundstrom tied the game 1-1 for the Sharks at 4:26 of the second period after Jan Rutta’s wrist shot rebounded off Blackwood’s right pad to him at the left side of the net.

Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev deflects a shot off his upper body during first period action – Photo by Jack Lima

Eklund put the Sharks ahead 2-1 at 9:29 after he found a loose puck at the top of the crease, which he swept through the five-hole on Blackwood.

Rantanen tied the game 2-2 for the Avalanche at 8:26 of the third period with a power-play goal. MacKinnon faked a one-timer on the left circle and fed a perfect cross-ice pass for Rantanen to one-time past Georgiev.