Colorado Avalanche at Vancouver Canucks

Kiefer Sherwood has 1st NHL hat trick as Canucks beat Avalanche 3-1

Thatcher Demko stopped 30 shots as Vancouver won for the second time in five games (2-2-1).

Valeri Nichushkin scored with 46 seconds left for Colorado, and Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 22 saves.

Sherwood had an even-strength goal, a short-handed goal and an empty-netter. He now has a career-high 11 goals on the season, surpassing his career high of 10 set last season for Nashville.

Mikko Rantanen had an assist for the Avalanche, stretching his point streak to six games (three goals, nine assists).

Takeaways Canucks: Coach Rick Tocchet criticized his team after an ugly 5-1 loss to Boston on Saturday, saying there were four or five players who were “struggling to get emotionally invested.” His team responded with a physical game against the Avalanche, killing off four penalties, blocking 18 shots and registering 30 hits.

Avalanche: Getting held to one goal was a rare blip for a Colorado team that came in with four wins in its last five games. The Avalanche had outscored their opponents 18-9 across that stretch.

Key moment Sherwood padded Vancouver’s lead with a short-handed goal with 3:56 left in the second period. He picked a puck off Nathan MacKinnon near the benches and sprinted down the ice, then put a shot up and over Blackwood’s outstretched glove to make it 2-0. Chants of “Kie-fer Sher-wood!” rang out through the arena in response.

Key stat Colorado went scoreless on four power-play opportunities to fall to 1 for 19 over the last seven games.

Up Next Avalanche visit San Jose on Thursday, and Canucks visit Utah on Wednesday to open a two-game trip.

VAN leads series 1-0