Lehkonen's Double Strike Leads Avalanche to Comeback Victory Over Sharks
The Colorado Avalanche, led by Valeri Nichushkin's three assists and Brock Nelson's goal, mounted a comeback to defeat the San Jose Sharks. Nathan MacKinnon contributed two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves. The Sharks, on the other hand, saw their losing streak extend to four games (0-3-1) with Timothy Liljegren and Philipp Kurashev scoring for them.
The turning point came when Manson assisted Colorado with a 3-2 lead during a 4-on-4 play, finishing Nichushkin's pass with a one-timer from between the circles, beating Askarov's glove. Lehkonen's double strike proved pivotal, with his first goal coming at 1:05 in the second period during a goal-mouth scramble. He kicked the loose puck into the crease before crossing the goal line. His second goal, a snap shot from the right face-off circle, was assisted by MacKinnon, who received a pass from Nichushkin and fed Lehkonen with a cross-ice pass.
MacKinnon's assist marked his 700th career assist, making him the 63rd player in NHL history, the first from the 2013 NHL Draft, and the second in Avalanche/Nordiques history to reach this milestone. However, the Sharks fought back, with Liljegren cutting the deficit to 2-1 just 43 seconds into the third period, and Kurashev tying the game at 2-2 at 3:34. Nelson sealed the deal with an empty-net goal at 18:43, resulting in a 4-2 final score.
Forward Kiefer Sherwood made his Sharks debut, recording one shot on goal in 17:39 of ice time. He was acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on January 19 and had been out since January 10 due to an undisclosed injury.
