DENVER —
The playoffs are here. Get caught up on all the latest news and preview content:
• Schedule, scores, highlights
• Inside the Battle of the Hudson
• Wyshynski’s playoff bracket
• Top 50 players in the playoffs
• Updated series odds, Cup futures
• Subscribe to ESPN+
• Stream the NHL on ESPN
Bjorkstrand nearly had a hat trick, but his shot late in the game hit the post.
“I didn’t want to go out and not being able to sleep at night because I didn’t perform well,” Bjorkstrand explained. “Some nights you just kind of feel the puck better, and I feel like this is just one of those nights.”
With 27.3 seconds left in the second period, MacKinnon lined a shot that glanced off Rantanen and went by Grubauer. MacKinnon’s assist on the play was his 100th career playoff point. He joins the company of Joe Sakic (188) and Peter Forsberg (159) as the only Avalanche players to reach the 100-point milestone in the postseason.
Georgiev finished with 25 saves.
The banged-up Avalanche were missing forwards Darren Helm (upper body), Cogliano and Valeri Nichushkin (personal reasons) along with defenseman Josh Manson (lower body) in Game 7.
They had been without captain Gabriel Landeskog all season after he underwent knee surgery in October.
“Tough year overall,” MacKinnon said. “Obviously, during the season, we’re going to say all of the right things, but it’s hard missing the guys. … We played a really great game; just couldn’t find the back of the net.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
