JARED BEDNAR

The pressure is squarely on the Florida Panthers, New York Rangers and Calgary Flames down two games to one in their respective first-round series.

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Nathan MacKinnon had three goals and two assists, Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored twice in a dominant first period and the Colorado Avalanche set a franchise record with their 53rd win by routing the Los Angeles Kings 9-3.

Nathan MacKinnon scored in the third period to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. The Avalanche overcame a 2-1 deficit by scoring two goals 26 seconds apart early in the third period, with J.T. Compher tying the game and MacKinnon burying the go-ahead goal in front of 18,333 in attendance. Chandler Stephenson and Jonathan Marchessault scored for Vegas.

Gabriel Landeskog tied the game with 36.5 seconds left in regulation and Cale Makar scored a power-play goal 3:01 into overtime as the Colorado Avalanche rallied past the Boston Bruins 4-3 for their 17th straight home victory.

Washington star Alexander Ovechkin and high-scoring Edmonton teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl headline the rosters for the NHL All-Star Weekend announced Thursday.

Erik Johnson had a goal and an assist, and the Colorado Avalanche beat Philadelphia 7-5 to hand the Flyers their ninth straight loss just hours after they fired coach Alain Vigneault.

Several months after COVID-19 vaccinations were made widely available in the United States, vaccination status continues to disrupt professional and college sports.

Montreal's Cole Caufield is the best of a handful of college hockey stars who went from playing at the NCAA level this season to jumping right into the NHL playoffs.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)Jared Bednar was cleared to coach the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 of their second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights after missing the morning skate Thursday because of a COVID-19 testing irregularity. An Avalanche spokesman confirmed Bednar will be behind the bench in Las Vegas after the matter was resolved. Bednar was not at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday morning because of the coronavirus testing snafu. We’re ready to go as a group and we’re excited for the challenge.”This is not the first time the NHL playoffs has gotten a virus testing scare. Vegas coach Peter DeBoer missed time earlier in the season while in league protocol.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)Coach Jared Bednar missed the Colorado Avalanche’s morning skate in Las Vegas on Thursday after what the team called an “irregularity” in his COVID-19 test. An Avalanche spokeswoman said Bednar was not at the arena because of the virus testing snafu. It was not clear if Bednar will be behind the bench for Game 6 Thursday night with Colorado facing elimination against the Vegas Golden Knights. We’re ready to go as a group and we’re excited for the challenge.”This is not the first time the NHL playoffs has gotten a virus testing scare. A laboratory error caused multiple false positives for the Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues during the first round.

The Colorado Avalanche will have their coach behind the bench when they face elimination against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Golden Knights Avalanche Hockey Vegas Golden Knights left wing Max Pacioretty, left, fights for control of the puck with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Conor Timmins during the first period of Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Denver. Max Pacioretty corralled the puck after a blocked shot and fed it to Stone, who was off to the races. Stone beat Philipp Grubauer on the glove side to hush what had been a boisterous crowd. Trailing 2-0 entering the third, the Golden Knights found another gear with Alex Tuch scoring 1:03 into the period and Jonathan Marchessault tying it up just 3:04 later. Before the game, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar switched up his lines in an effort to generate more energy and production.

Mark Stone scored on a breakaway 50 seconds into overtime as the Vegas Golden Knights overcame a two-goal deficit to beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 and take a 3-2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

The speedy Colorado Avalanche are suddenly the ones doing all the chasing. Vegas had Colorado in defense mode as the Golden Knights tied their playoff series at two games apiece by taking both games at home. “They make a play in the ‘D’ zone, they’re throwing it out into the neutral zone and coming at us 100 mph,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said.

Jonathan Marchessault had his fourth career hat trick to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche to tie their second-round series at two games apiece.

Vegas forward Ryan Reaves was suspended two games by the NHL for his roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct on Colorado’s Ryan Graves during the Golden Knights’ 7-1 loss in Game 1 of their second-round series Sunday.

Landeskog tipped in a shot from Samuel Girard at 14:53 of the second period to break a 1-1 tie. Landeskog said the Avalanche used a pre-series boast from St. Louis captain Ryan O'Reilly as motivation. Tarasenko converted on a breakaway off a pass from O’Reilly for a 1-0 lead at 5:07 of the second period. FREEBIESThe Avalanche scored six empty-net goals in the series, including two in a 6-3 win in Game 2 and two on Sunday. OUT AGAINColorado C Nazem Kadri served the second game of an eight-game suspension after hit to Justin Faulk in Game 2.

Ryan Graves had a goal and two assists, Philipp Grubauer made 31 saves, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 5-1 to take a 3-0 series lead in their first-round West Division matchup.

Colorado’s Nazem Kadri is suspended indefinitely pending a video hearing with NHL officials over his illegal check to the head of St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk.

Tyson Jost scored two of Colorado’s five second-period goals as the Avalanche clinched the West Division and the top overall seed in the NHL playoffs with a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings.

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The Colorado Avalanche have acquired goaltender Devan Dubynk from the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Greg Pateryn and a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft.

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2019, file photo, St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko, right, is congratulated as he passes the team box after scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Denver. Tarasenko makes his return after early season shoulder surgery that limited him to three goals in 10 games. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Ditto for St. Louis, the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Blues and Avalanche were navigating through some key injuries before the season was halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The hiatus allowed time to heal and now the top two teams in the Western Conference return as Cup favorites. The two teams get things rolling Sunday in Edmonton by facing each other to kick off a round-robin tournament to determine seeding in the West. It should be a fun ride.Back on the ice for the Blues is forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who underwent shoulder surgery in late October.