DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon kept up his torrid home scoring with a goal, Jonathan Bernier stopped 33 shots and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Monday for their seventh straight win.
Matt Nieto and Colin Wilson also scored for the Avs, who are outscoring opponents 29-10 during their longest win streak since the 2005-06 season.
MacKinnon leads the league in scoring on home ice this season with 41 points (15 goals and 26 assists) in 24 games.
Bernier has been sensational since stepping in with Semyon Varlamov sidelined by a lower-body injury. Bernier came up big midway through the second period when he reached out with his stick to thwart Ryan Kesler. That set up a rush the other way, with MacKinnon scoring on a wrist shot past Ryan Miller.
Chris Wagner had a goal in the second period for Anaheim. It was his first goal since Nov. 27.
Anaheim pulled Miller with around 3 minutes remaining, but couldn't get anything by Bernier, who played for Anaheim last season.
The Ducks were without forward Andrew Cogliano as he served the first of a two-game suspension that ended his consecutive games streak at 830 — the fourth-longest in NHL history. He was suspended for an interference penalty against Los Angeles forward Adrian Kempe on Saturday.
Cogliano, who had never missed a game in his career, fought back tears as he talked about the streak on Fox Sports West: "It's a tough pill to swallow. I'm not going to lie. ... I miss the game."
Wilson's power-play goal with 19.6 seconds remaining in the second gave the Avalanche a 3-1 lead. Colorado improved to 18-1-1 when ahead entering the final period.
Nieto got Colorado on the board first midway through the first period when he batted at the puck as he was falling down. His shot bounced off the post, before just rolling across the line. It was Nieto's eighth goal of the season.
NOTES: Anaheim D Francois Beauchemin was a scratch. ... The Ducks claimed RW J.T. Brown on waivers from Tampa Bay. He was in the lineup Monday. ... Asked over the weekend if there was any chance of shutting down Varlamov for the season, coach Jared Bednar said in a video posted on the team's
UP NEXT
Ducks: Host Pittsburgh on Wednesday to open a five-game homestand.
Avalanche: Host San Jose on Thursday and the New York Rangers on Saturday as part of a three-game homestand.
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Pat Graham, The Associated Press