Colorado Avalanche at Columbus Blue Jackets

Valeri Nichushkin scores twice, Avalanche beat Blue Jackets 4-1 for fourth win of the season

Nichushkin scored in the second period on a tip-in and added an empty-net goal with just under two minutes left to cap the Avalanche's fourth win in five games (4-0-1) to open the season.

Colorado's Cale Makar scored in the second period to reach 434 points, third-most by a defenseman through 400 games in NHL history behind Bobby Orr (508) and Paul Coffey (475). The goal was Makar's 118th, moving him ahead of George Boucher for fifth-most by a defenseman through 400 games.

Brock Nelson also scored for Colorado.

Columbus' Ivan Provorov had a goal in his 700th career game and Elvis Merzļikins had 32 saves.

Columbus signed Cam Atkinson to a one-day contract so he could retire with the team before the game and Provorov opened the scoring early in the second period, beating Wedgewood to the stick side on a wrist shot from the left circle.

Makar tied it midway through the period, sending a wrist shot over Merzļikins' shoulder from the left circle.

Nelson scored his first of the season a little over a minute later, deflecting a shot by Brent Burns through Merzļikins' pads. Burns became the second 40-year-old in Avalanche history with a point streak of at least three games, joining Ray Bourque (2000-01).

Nichushkin made it 3-1 with four seconds left in the period, deflecting Sam Malinski's shot from between the circles past Merzļikins. Nichushkin skated the puck into the goal for his second of the season after Columbus pulled Merzļikins.

Up next Avalanche: Host Boston on Saturday night.

Blue Jackets: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday night.

COL leads series 1-0