Cale Makar, Valeri Nichushkin, Jonathan Drouin and Mikko Rantanen all collected one goal and one assist as the Colorado Avalanche claimed a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday in Denver.

Riley Tufte and also scored and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves for the Avalanche, who broke open the game with three third-period goals. Colorado posted its fourth win in five outings.

Nils Hoglander and J.T. Miller scored for the Canucks, who have lost three of four games. Goalie Thatcher Demko stopped 20 shots.

Tufte broke a 2-2 tie 84 seconds into the third period with his first NHL goal since March 6, 2022, while with the Dallas Stars. Miles Wood's long shot ricocheted off Tufte's shin and into the net.

Makar doubled the lead at 12:38 of the final frame when he stole the puck in his own zone to create a breakaway and converted a forehand shot for his fifth goal of the season.

The standout defenseman now boasts an eight-game point streak in which he has collected two goals and 16 assists.

Rantanen scored an empty-net goal at 16:38, his 12th goal of the season, to complete the comeback victory.

The Canucks opened the scoring when Hoglander notched his sixth goal of the season at 16:23 of the first period. Anthony Beauvillier's scoring chance was denied, but Hoglander was on the spot for the rebound.

The Avalanche responded with a pair of goals 66 seconds apart. Nichushkin's power-play goal at 17:37 of the first, a tap-in tally from the doorstep, put the Colorado on the board. Nichushkin has scored in five consecutive games and has eight tallies on the season.

Then Drouin put the Avalanche ahead by deflecting Makar's point shot for his second of the season.

Miller tied the game midway through the second period, netting his 13th of the season with a short-side shot while holding off a check.

Miller is riding a nine-game point streak in which he has collected seven goals and 14 points, while Quinn Hughes posted an assist to give him a nine-game run with four goals and 15 points.

Hughes and Miller became the fastest Canucks teammates to reach the 30-point mark in a season, getting there in 20 games. The old mark was 23 games, set twice in the 1980s.

--Field Level Media