Lehkonen leads short-handed Avalanche past Canadiens

Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist to help the short-handed Colorado Avalanche beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 without injured stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar on Saturday night.

Fedor Svechkov and Brock Nelson also scored for Colorado (12-6-3) after MacKinnon and Makar both exited Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators with lower-body injuries.

Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 25 shots and Nicolas Roy added an empty-net goal.

Nick Suzuki replied with a highlight-reel goal for Montreal (12-4-4), which had gone 12 consecutive games without losing in regulation (9-0-3).

Jakub Dobes made 22 saves in his first start in nine days.

Svechkov opened the scoring on Colorado’s first shot at 3:57 of the first period. He held on to the puck on a two-on-one rush and beat Dobes for his third of the season.

Nelson doubled the lead at 15:55 during a delayed Montreal penalty, rifling a one-timer from a tight angle for the Avalanche’s second goal on three shots.

Suzuki cut the deficit with a spectacular goal at 10:25 in the second. The Canadiens captain received a pass from Juraj Slafkovsky in the slot, smoothly spun around Avalanche defenceman Devon Toews and flicked a backhand off the post and in for his eighth of the season.

Lehkonen, a former Canadien, restored the two-goal lead at 4:14 in the third period, burying his 15th of the season into a gaping net on the power play after Dobes made a pair of desperation saves.

Newhook appeared to score with 9:05 remaining in regulation when he deflected a shot from Kirby Dach past Blackwood. But after a lengthy review, the goal was called back for a high stick.