Joel Kiviranta, Avalanche down Kraken for 7th win in nine games

The Avalanche need a break after a grueling five-week trip, but the club is also finally starting to pile up the points.

Joel Kiviranta had a natural hat trick to set new career highs in goals and points, while Mackenzie Blackwood made 17 saves Sunday night to help the Avs defeat the Seattle Kraken, 5-2, at Ball Arena.

Kiviranta scored the club’s last three goals, including two in the empty net.

“I looked and thought about (matching) Mikko (Rantanen) there, but a hat-trick is a hat-trick,” Kiviranta said. “It was three good rejections today. I’m just happy we got these two points before the Christmas break.”

Kiviranta put the Avalanche ahead with 7:59 left in the second period. A Seattle miscommunication led to the puck drifting into the neutral zone where Rantanen was able to start a 2-on-1 and feed Kiviranta for his eighth goal of the season.

He added goal no. 9 and 10, putting him at 12 points for the season – also a new career best. Kiviranta’s previous eight-goal season came across 70 games for Dallas. Five of his 10 goals have come in the past three games. It’s his second career hat trick, with the first coming against Colorado in Game 7 of the 2020 playoffs with the Stars.

Rantanen and Cale Makar each had three points, while Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin had two for the Avs. They have won seven of nine heading into the break and are a season-best six games over .500 (21-15-0).

It’s the most successful stretch so far in an up-and-down season. Now the Avs will have four days off before a game in Utah, and only one game in eight days.

“The break will be good for everybody,” said Blackwood, who will use the time off to gather more of his belongings in San Jose after joining the Avs on Dec. 9. “Rest your legs, come back fresh. I’m sure we’ll make it.”

Blackwood didn’t face many big chances, but Jaden Schwartz had a breakout in the third period with Seattle down by one goal. Blackwood stoned him, much to the delight of the Ball Arena crowd.

He’s been a “volume goaltender” at times in his career — a netminder who performs better when faced with more shots, not fewer. He’s going to play games like this one with Colorado, and making stops in key moments when he hasn’t been rushed will be just as important as the nights when the Avs need him to make a lot of saves.

“Sometimes it can be challenging to stay engaged in the game when there are long stretches where you don’t really get the action,” Blackwood said. “As I’ve gotten older, it’s gotten a little easier. You find some tricks to stay mentally in tune with the game, not get lost a little bit.”

The Avs scored a power-play goal for the third straight game to take a 1-0 lead. Colorado’s first chance with the extra man didn’t go too well, but Seattle offered another less than a minute later, and the Avs took full advantage.

Makar shot from the top of the zone with Nichushkin providing a screen in front. It was Makar’s 11th goal of the season, which ties him with Columbus’ Zach Werenski for the most among defensemen. He holds a five-point lead over Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes, as MacKinnon has extended his lead among all players to five.

Colorado’s power play was stuck in a 5-for-48 funk after the loss to Vancouver six days prior, but that’s four goals in three games.