Parker Kelly and Martin Necas each tallied a goal and an assist as the Colorado Avalanche topped Utah Mammoth 4-2 on Wednesday in Salt Lake City during the teams’ return from the Olympic break.
All six goals were scored in the second period.
Scott Wedgewood made 28 saves for the Avalanche, who won for the third time in four games. Colorado also got goals from Victor Olofsson and Brock Nelson.
The Avalanche played without center Nathan MacKinnon, who competed for Team Canada at the Winter Games. It was not clear if MacKinnon would rejoin the lineup on Thursday to face the Minnesota Wild.
Dylan Guenther scored twice and Karel Vejmelka stopped 21 shots for the Mammoth, who were on an 11-3-1 run before the break.
Kelly opened up scoring at 3:26 of the middle period. He took the puck nearly the length of the ice, dodging three Mammoth players to make it 1-0 on a snap shot.
Olofsson increased Colorado’s lead to 2-0 at 9:13 when Sam Malinski set him up for a snap shot. Kelly tallied the secondary assist.
Guenther cut the margin in half with a slap shot on Utah’s second power play of the night to make it 2-1 at 10:49.
Nelson responded with a slap shot to make it 3-1 at 12:20.
Guenther struck again when Jack McBain set him up for a slap shot through traffic to make the score 3-2 at 13:20.
Necas scored on a slap shot from the top of the faceoff circle on a Colorado power play at 17:17.
