MacKinnon posted his 100th career NHL goal as he one-timed Tyson Barrie's shot over Vancouver goaltender Anders Nilsson's shoulder on the short side. The Avalanche completed a rally from a 4-1 deficit in the final five minutes of the second period.
Barrie led Colorado with a goal and four assists, while MacKinnon also furnished three assists. All of Colorado's goals came on the power play as the Avs went 5-for-6 in man-advantage situations.
"We've actually addressed our power play," Barrie told Sportsnet. "It was terrible all year. So to get five tonight, it was a great win for us."
Tyson Jost, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for Colorado. MacKinnon notched a four-point night in only his second game since returning from an upper-body injury sustained in Vancouver on Jan. 30.
The winning goal occurred after Canucks winger Daniel Sedin was called for hooking Jost with 1:37 left in overtime.
Darren Archibald, Nikolay Goldobin, Brandon Sutter and Bo Horvat tallied for the Canucks, who converted one of three power plays.
Colorado goaltender Semyon Varlamov recorded 24 saves on 28 shots. Nilsson blocked 29 of 34 shots while making his third straight start with Jacob Markstrom sidelined due to an undisclosed injury.
After a scoreless first period, the teams erupted for seven goals in the middle frame. Archibald opened the scoring 34 seconds in as he one-timed the puck after Sutter wrapped a pass around the net.
The goal was only Archibald's second NHL career marker -- and first since March 8, 2014, when he scored for Vancouver against Calgary. He recently returned to the NHL for the first time in nearly four years after languishing in the minors. The 28-year-old Newmarket, Ontario, native had been playing on an American Hockey League contract with Utica before the Canucks signed him to an NHL deal as part of a bid for more team toughness.
Jost forged a 1-1 deadlock on a power play at 10:46 of the middle frame, deflecting in Barrie's wrist shot from the blue line -- and then the tap opened.
Goldobin, Sutter and Horvat produced three goals within 2:41 to give the Canucks a 4-1 lead. However, before the period ended, Rantanen and then Landeskog, on a shrewd pass from MacKinnon, reduced Colorado's deficit to 4-3.
--Field Level Media
Colorado | Vancouver | |
Tyson Barrie 5 | Points | Nikolay Goldobin 2 |
Tyson Barrie 1 | Goals | Nikolay Goldobin 1 |
Tyson Barrie 4 | Assists | Nikolay Goldobin 1 |
Tyson Barrie 1 | Power Play Goals | Nikolay Goldobin 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Semyon Varlamov .857 | Save Percentage | Anders Nilsson .853 |
Semyon Varlamov 24 | Saves | Anders Nilsson 29 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Colorado | 34 | 5 | 5-6 | 2-3 | 6 | 28 |
Vancouver | 28 | 4 | 1-3 | 1-6 | 12 | 39 |