Avalanche cruises past Utah Hockey Club for fourth straight win

Cale Makar (one goal) and Nathan MacKinnon (one assist) each extended his season-opening points streak to eight games for Colorado (4-4-0). Makar has 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) and MacKinnon has 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) during the series.

Ivan Ivan also scored his first NHL goal, Mikko Rantanen had two assists and Justus Annunen made 24 saves for the Avalanche.

Lawson Crouse scored a goal and Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves for Utah (4-3-1), which has lost four of five games.

Ross Colton gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 9:54 of the first period and scored his seventh goal of the season with a one-timer from the edge of the right circle off a pass from Rantanen.

Makar increased to 2-0 at 18:20. He ran quickly into the right circle and hit Vejmelka on the short side under his blocker arm.

Mittelstadt increased the lead to 3-0 at 14:25 of the second period. Sam Malinski's shot attempt was deflected through the goal crease to Mittelstadt, who fired the puck into the open net.

Ivan, playing in his eighth NHL game, made it 4-0 with another power play goal at 17:33. He beat Vejmelka's blocker side with a quick shot from the left.

Crouse scored a breakaway goal at 15:28 of the third period to make it 4-1.

Joel Kiviranta responded 39 seconds later after losing the ball along the boards to make it 5-1. It was his fourth goal in his last three games.