Justus Annunen leads Avalanche to fourth straight win with 5-1 rout of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Justus Annunen had 25 saves, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Utah Hockey Club 5-1 on Thursday night for their fourth straight win.

Ross Colton opened the scoring with his seventh goal of the season. Cale Makar also scored in the first. Casey Mittelstadt and Ivan Ivan struck both scored in the second period — Ivan's goal on a power play. Joel Kiviranta had an unassisted goal late to cap the scoring.

Colton struck midway through the first period, snapping the puck past Vejmelka on a power play. Makar then blasted home a second long-distance snap shot, extending Colorado’s lead.

Mittelstadt sent in a close-range wrist shot for a three-goal advantage. Ivan’s unassisted power play goal put Colorado up 4-0 heading into the third.

Mittelstadt, Nikolai Kovalenko and Mikko Rantanen each had a pair of assists for the Avalanche.

Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves in his second start for Utah but has allowed nine goals over two games. Lawson Crouse had Utah’s lone goal with 4:32 left in the game.

Avalanche: Stifling defense and potent offense helped Colorado turn in a complete game on both ends of the ice.

Utah: Another sluggish start put Utah in an early hole, and it never climbed out. Utah has not scored a first-period goal in three straight games but has surrendered six over that stretch.

Mittelstadt and Ivan were barely challenged while scoring three minutes apart in the second. Their goals squashed any comeback hopes Utah harbored.

Makar leads the NHL with 15 points and 12 assists and has tallied at least one goal or assist in each of Colorado’s first eight games.

Colorado begins a three-game homestand against Ottawa on Sunday while Utah visits the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

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