Kiviranta Scores Hat Trick in Avalanche’s Pre-Holiday Break Win Over the Kraken

DENVER — Joel Kiviranta has scored a hat trick before. But that was in the playoffs and is one that some of the Avalanche’s longest-tenured players want to erase from their memory. Nobody is going to forget his performance on Sunday against Seattle, though, even if two of the goals came on an empty net.

“I guess it’s nice to have him get a hat trick on our side, that’s for sure” Cale Makar joked. “Not good memories with his last one.”

Colorado defeated the Seattle Kraken 5-2, sweeping the season series and extending its winning streak to three games entering the holiday break.

Valeri Nichushkin and Makar had the other two goals for the Avs, who led 3-2 entering the third period and held on until Kiviranta put two more into the empty net.

Kiviranta is up to 10 goals on the season — a new career high. He has five of them against Seattle.

“The evolution of Kivy’s game goes back to early last year,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “He started really digging in on his game and trying to do more on the offensive side of it and be more comfortable with the puck and play with the puck more, instead of just chip and chase all the time.”

The Avs came out strong, controlling play in what was a physical start to the first period. After Seattle was called for delay of game for shooting the puck over glass, Colorado eventually got another power-play opportunity just 41 seconds after the first one was killed. On that second PP, Makar fired a wrist shot off his back leg through traffic and past goalie Joey Daccord.

Part of that traffic in front was Nichushkin, using his size and strength to park himself perfectly in front of the crease to take the goalie’s eyes away. Nichushkin didn’t earn an assist on the goal — those went to Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. But his role on the PP can’t be understated. Especially when the screen is executed so well.

“As a D-man, it’s so hard to move big bodies like that,” Makar said. “But it’s fun for me because I can try and shoot at him, or shoot around him because he’s got such a good stick too. I was definitely shooting for his stick, but he was such a good screen that obviously it just went in.”

Colorado led 1-0 until the final minutes of the first. With less than four minutes remaining in the period, the Kraken finally got their second shot on goal. And on their third shot, Jared McCann snuck into the slot, collected a pass from Shane Wright, and put it past Mackenzie Blackwood. Samuel Girard was the closest defenseman to McCann but watched as he got himself into a scoring position.

The Kraken added to their lead early in the second. With the faceoff deep in the Avs zone, Matty Beniers won the draw, and linemate Kaapo Kakko came in and shot the puck from just outside the faceoff spot to put Seattle ahead. It was just the fifth shot in 24 minutes and the first lead for Dan Bylsma’s club.

But that was all they could get. And the lead didn’t last.

Off the ensuing faceoff, MacKinnon challenged Oleksiak one-on-one, got himself into a dangerous area, and put the puck on net. The rebound came out to Nichushkin for the goal. The Avs continued to play stingy defense, keeping the opposition from getting many pucks to the net. The Kraken finished with just 19 shots compared to the Avs’ 29.

Colorado regained the lead at 12:01 of the second. Rantanen broke in on a two-on-one and elected to pass to Kiviranta, who one-timed it in for the goal. The period came to an end with the Avalanche leading 19-10 in shots.

Blackwood held the fort down the rest of the way to once again only surrender two goals. It’s his fourth start with the Avs and he’s given up two in each game.

Good: Stingy defense, puck control, playing the game on your terms

Through the first 40 minutes, Colorado played the type of aggressive defense that could win them a lot of games. Were there some misplays along the way? Sure. The aforementioned Girard coverage on McCann’s goal is a prime example. But for most of the night, Colorado controlled play and let the Kraken play on the home team’s terms.

Even when they gave up shots, the Avalanche did a good job of keeping them to the outside or getting in front of pucks.

Seattle fired nine shots toward Blackwood in the first, of which six were blocked. And in the second, the Kraken led 20-17 in shot attempts but the Avs led 10-7 in shots on goal.

Despite Blackwood giving up two goals, it was a solid night for the goalie and one where he didn’t have all that much to do. Granted that breakaway save early in the third was a thing of beauty.

Good: Disciplined play

This is somewhat a continuation of playing the game on your terms. But the Avs had all three power plays in the first period and the only call in the second period was on Seattle. Coming off a back-to-back where the Avs took five penalties in each game, it was nice to see them play more disciplined, albeit still an aggressive brand of hockey. Colorado did not take a penalty until Girard received a tripping minor on a questionable call.

The Avs killed that penalty.