Avs rally to beat Ducks and get first win of the season in OT

The Colorado Avalanche desperately needed a win, and they certainly had to overcome a lot to get their first win of the 2024-25 season.

Despite dominating this contest from start to finish, the undermanned Avs had to overcome a two-goal deficit and score an equalizer in the final minute of regulation to defeat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 on Friday night at Ball Arena.

Nathan MacKinnon scored with 40.1 seconds left in overtime. It was Colorado's 49th shot of the game and fifth in overtime.

“It kind of caught on,” MacKinnon said while wearing an oversized Avs cap, being named the team’s player of the game this season. “It wasn't a great shot, but we finally had to take an ugly shot.

“It’s just… (49) to 20 shots. That's obviously how it works. I think we played four solid games out of five, honestly.”

Ross Colton's second goal of the night gave Colorado the lead with 8:18 left in the third period. The Avs had to save two penalties in the final six minutes, including a 6-on-4 lead to the Ducks because their goalie was pulled. Colorado entered the game in last place in PK in the NHL and University of Denver graduate Troy Terry scored to give Alexandar Georgiev a lead with 12.6 seconds left in regulation and send it into overtime.

Colton continued his hot start to the season. He is one of the players upgraded in the lineup due to the unavailability of four key strikers, and he has now scored four goals in five games. Both goals came from one-time shots from the middle of the ice.

“He’s a cop,” MacKinnon said. “Super physical player, great goal-scoring ability, great one-timer. Great player and he really stepped up when three or four of our best players were out.”

Colorado dominated the first period, but Anaheim led 2-0 at the break after scoring its strangest two goals of the season.

Brian Dumoulin shot the puck from the slot into a sea of ​​bodies. The ball was in the Avalanche's possession without a whistle for a full seven seconds before Leo Carlsson was credited with guiding it over the goal line. During one of the replays it appeared as if it was against Georgiev's leg pad but not under it, and Josh Manson's attempts to slide it under his goalie proved unsuccessful.

That gave Anaheim a 1-0 lead at 6:05 of the first period, but that was the lesser of the Ducks' two quirky goals. Late in the first period, the puck clearly hit the net behind Georgiev and all ten skaters on the ice stopped playing, assuming there would be a stoppage of play. Music even briefly played from the speakers in the ball arena.

However, none of the officials really messed up the game. Samuel Girard sent the puck out of the Avs zone, and it wasn't until the Ducks carried it back in that everyone realized they had to keep playing. Ryan Strome knocked down the rebound of a Dumoulin shot to give Anaheim a two-goal lead.