Drouin scores his first 2 goals of season, Avs beat slumping Panthers 7-4
Drouin scores his first 2 goals of season, Avs beat slumping Panthers 7-4
Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) reacts after scoring a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) scores a goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) defends Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) deflects a shot by Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Teammates congratulate Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O’Connor (25) after he scored a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) and Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) go after the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) scores a goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) and defenseman Sam Malinski (70) defend Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (25) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) stops a shot as Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9 and Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) collide near the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) reacts after scoring a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) reacts after scoring a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) scores a goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) scores a goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) defends Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) defends Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (27) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) deflects a shot by Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) deflects a shot by Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Teammates congratulate Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O’Connor (25) after he scored a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Teammates congratulate Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O’Connor (25) after he scored a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) and Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) go after the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) and Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) go after the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) scores a goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) scores a goal against Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) and defenseman Sam Malinski (70) defend Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (25) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) and defenseman Sam Malinski (70) defend Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (25) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) stops a shot as Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9 and Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) collide near the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) stops a shot as Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9 and Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) collide near the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Jonathan Drouin got his first two goals of the season, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists and the Colorado Avalanche beat the slumping Florida Panthers 7-4 on Saturday night.
Drouin was playing for only the fifth time this season. He missed 16 games with an upper-body injury.
Valeri Nichushkin had a goal and two assists for Colorado, which got a four-goal second period — with scores from Drouin, Rantanen, Logan O’Connor and Samuel Girard. Oliver Kylington also scored for the Avalanche, who improved to 3-0-0 on their four-game road trip.
Cale Makar and Devon Toews had two assists apiece for Colorado.
Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Anton Lundell scored for Florida, which has dropped five of its last six games. Matthew Tkachuk and Mackie Samoskevich each had two assists for the Panthers.
Takeaways
Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon played in his 812th game, one shy of matching Michel Goulet for the fourth-most in franchise history. Joe Sakic (1,378), Milan Hejduk (1,020) and Adam Foote (967) are the only players with more for the franchise (which started as the Quebec Nordiques).
Panthers: Reinhart now has a point in 13 consecutive games, tying himself, Jonathan Huberdeau and Pavel Bure for the second-longest streak in Florida history. Mike Hoffman had a 17-game streak for the Panthers in the 2018-19 season.
Key moment
Florida got 56 seconds of five-on-three hockey after Josh Manson was called for hooking Barkov with 15:54 left. Florida appeared to score 11 seconds later, only to have it waved off for goaltender interference against Tkachuk. Florida challenged the call, lost and Samoskevich went to the box for the ensuing delay penalty.
Key stat
Makar now has 100 multi-point games in his career.
Up next
Avalanche: Visit Tampa Bay on Monday.
Panthers: Host Washington on Monday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl