Counterbalance was the theme Saturday night at the Pepsi Center.
The Avalanche, missing three injured forwards to begin the game and a fourth late in the second period, used three goals from two 21-year-old defensemen to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2.
Rookie Cale Makar scored twice and fellow blue-liner Sam Girard once as the Avs swept their two-game homestand after entering it on a 0-4-1 stretch. Colorado, which started backup goalie Pavel Francouz for the second straight game and got a late insurance goal from forward Nazem Kadri, improved to 10-5-2.
“You got to do what you gotta do.