Wyatt Aamodt’s first NHL goal sparked a four-goal third period, and the visiting Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Sunday night.
Charlie Coyle had a goal and two assists, Jack Drury had one of each and Erik Johnson also scored for Colorado, which sat several of its top players in its final game of the regular season.
Scott Wedgewood had 18 saves for the Avalanche (49-29-4, 102 points), who used an AHL-heavy lineup. The team’s top scorer, Nathan MacKinnon, was scratched for the final three games after third place in the Central Division was secured.
Cale Makar, the second-leading scorer, and fellow defenseman Devon Toews were healthy scratches for the last two.
Defenseman Ryan Lindgren (upper-body injury), Ross Colton (undisclosed injury), Jonathan Drouin (lower body) and Josh Manson (upper-body injury) and Valeri Nichushkin (rest) also missed Sunday night.
Mason McTavish and Sam Colangelo had goals and Lukas Dostal turned away 20 shots for Anaheim (35-37-8, 78 points).
Colorado trailed 2-0 after two periods but rallied in the third. Aamodt made it 2-1 when his pass attempt to the front of the net went off the skate of the Ducks’ Pavel Mintyukov and in at 10:05, and Drury tipped Sam Malinski’s shot from the point for a power-play goal at 14:34.
Coyle put the Avalanche in front when Jimmy Vesey fed him with a pass through the slot, and he made it 3-2 with a snap shot at 17:51. Johnson added an empty-net goal at 19:12.
The Ducks took the lead late in the first period when McTavish wristed a shot past Wedgewood at 18:52.
Anaheim went on the power play for the first time early in the second period and generated some chances but didn’t cash in until one second after the man advantage ended.
The Ducks worked the puck around the offensive zone, Frank Vatrano fed Alex Killorn just below the goal line, and he fed Colangelo as he skated into the right circle. Colangelo’s one-timer beat Wedgewood at 7:35.
–Field Level Media
