The Avalanche discovered an effective formula earlier this season, and sometimes it’s still comforting to return to it, even during a winning streak: When nothing works, just ask Mikko Rantanen for help.
In a tight defensive showdown between two of the Western Conference’s best, Rantanen provided the breakthroughs in a 3-0 win Monday night over the Golden Knights, the sixth in a row for Colorado.
He scored his 39th and 40th goals to supply a 2-0 lead at second intermission, becoming the franchise’s second 40-goal scorer in the last 19 seasons. Nathan MacKinnon finished with 41 in 2018-19, playing all 82 games.