Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie each scored a goal and added an assist during a four-goal second period that lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday in a battle of Western Conference playoff hopefuls at Pepsi Center in Denver.

Nikita Zadorov, Matt Nieto and Duncan Siemens also lit the lamp for Colorado, which is tied with Calgary at 73 points. Both are one point out of the final playoff spot in the conference.

Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik tallied goals for the Flames.

Backlund initiated the scoring at 14:19 of the first period with a short-handed goal, just 10 seconds into an Avalanche power play. Barrie turned the puck over at the blue line, and Backlund sped in down the left wing, eventually flicking a backhand over the left pad of goalie Semyon Varlamov for his 12th marker.

Frolik made it 2-0 just 2:41 into the second period with his 10th tally. A Colorado turnover deep in its zone set up the score. Backlund shoveled a pass to Frolik at the left post, and Frolik knocked a backhander past Varlamov.

MacKinnon started the Avalanche's outburst with a power-play tally at 8:24, skating unopposed into the left circle and beating goalie David Rittich with a wrister past the blocker pad on the short side. It was MacKinnon's 29th goal.

Zadorov evened the score just 68 seconds later, carrying the puck into the zone and maneuvering into the left circle. He wired a wrister past Rittich on the glove side for his fifth goal.

Barrie put Colorado ahead for good at 12:41 with his seventh goal. Mikko Rantanen teed him up at the left post, and Barrie made no mistake, flicking a wrister into a vacated net.

Nieto capped the outburst with his 11th goal and 100th career point, taking an excellent centering pass from Carl Soderberg and scoring from the slot at 18:42.

Siemens added an empty-net marker at 19:43 of the third period, his first goal of the season.

Varlamov made 30 saves in the win. Rittich stopped 29 of 33 shots.

--Field Level Media