It’s Mikko time!
Mikko Rantanen scored twice in the third period to notch his ninth career hat trick, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 for their third consecutive victory.
Rantanen’s goal at 10:01, his second of the evening, gave Colorado the lead in the third period, and he added an empty-net goal with 1:59 remaining to seal the deal. Artturi Lehkonen also scored and Alexandar Georgiev made 13 saves on 15 shots for the Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon, who had three assists, extended his season-opening home point streak to 11 games. Los Angeles goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who helped lead Colorado to a third Stanley Cup championship in 2022, made 18 saves before leaving early in the third period with an injury.