Avalanche strike quickly, keep rolling with 4-2 win against Predators

This Colorado Avalanche band has the the greater part explosive offense in the NHL this season and it doesn t waste time reminding everyone For the ninth time this season the Avs scored in the first seconds of the championship grabbing another early lead and keeping the Nashville Predators at arm s length the rest of this Saturday night in a - domination at Ball Arena Scott Wedgewood made saves for his th win which is tied for the league lead and the Avs are now - - at home this season Nathan MacKinnon collected a pass from Brent Burns just before the red line galloped into the offensive zone and snapped a shot past ex-Avs goalie Justus Annunen at of the first It was MacKinnon s NHL-leading th goal of the season That is also even-strength goals for MacKinnon There is only one player in the league Boston s Morgan Geekie who has scored more than goals overall this season MacKinnon who added an assist on Valeri Nichushkin s empty-net tally also leads the league with points Edmonton s Connor McDavid has amassed in his past five contests to get within four of MacKinnon Jack Drury got a fortunate bounce to give Colorado a - advantage later in the first during a -on- situation Drury s shot from the high slot deflected off the defender in front of him and was going wide of the net before it hit off the shin pad of Nashville defenseman Nicolas Hague and redirected into the net at It was Drury s fifth goal of the season and his first since scoring Nov at Nashville Cale Makar collected his th assist and th point of the season which are both setting the pace among defensemen in the league Related Articles NHL s Central Division adds another superstar gets tougher with Minnesota s deal for Quinn Hughes Grading The Week Avalanche need to avoid first-round dogfight vs Dallas Quinn Hughes in Stanley Cup Playoffs In season of superlatives Avalanche has NHL s best penalty kill Avalanche honor champs blast two-time defending champion Panthers in - win Avalanche s Gavin Brindley ready to return from injury keep surprising rookie season rolling Nashville was able to solve Colorado s top-ranked penalty kill and get one back just seconds later Ex-Avs forward Ryan O Reilly fed Jonathan Marchessault for a one-timer in the right circle at of the second It was only the th goal Colorado has allowed while shorthanded this season and the th in a -on- situation Victor Olofsson made it a - advantage with the lone goal of the middle period Samuel Girard tried to make a cross-ice pass with the a delayed penalty coming on the Predators but Nashville forward Michael Bunting got a piece of it The puck went right to Olofsson in the slot and he was able to spin and amount his seventh goal of the season This was Annunen s first start against the Avalanche since being traded to the Predators along with a sixth-round pick for Wedgewood on Nov That agreement has paid immense dividends for the Avs but has not been a win-win transaction Wedgewood improved to - - since joining the Avs with the win including a - - record this season Annunen is now - - with the Predators which includes just one triumph this season He entered this contest - - with an save percentage this year though with saves this was Annunen s best start of the season Want more Avalanche news Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis