Avs rout Coyotes behind two goals from Kadri

Nazem Kadri scored a pair of power-play goals and had an assist as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Arizona Coyotes 7-1 Monday in a Western Conference first-round playoff series in Edmonton, Alberta.

Aug 17, 2020; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (49) falls in front of Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jason Demers (55) and goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Gerry Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Nieto, Joonas Donskoi, Cale Makar, Matt Calvert and Mikko Rantanen also scored and goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 14 saves for the second-seeded Avalanche, who have a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Colorado can close out the series in Game 5 Wednesday afternoon.

Jakob Chychrun scored for Arizona and Darcy Kuemper stopped 18 of 22 shots before being pulled after the second period. His replacement, Antti Raanta, allowed three goals on eight shots.

After a scoreless opening 14 minutes, the Avalanche scored three times to take a 3-0 lead after the first period.

Nieto opened the scoring, taking a cross-ice pass from Calvert and having the puck deflect off his skate and over Kuemper.

Kadri scored his first with the man advantage at 16:07. Rantanen’s shot was stopped by a scrum in front of the net, but Gabriel Landeskog was able to chip the puck to a wide-open Kadri at the left post and he put it into the empty side of the net.

Kadri’s second power-play goal came at 19:39. Nathan MacKinnon weaved through several Arizona defenders to get to the net for a shot on goal, with Kadri chipping the rebound past Kuemper to make it 3-0 in a period in which the Avalanche had a 12-3 advantage in shots on goal.

The Avalanche extended the lead to 4-0 at 11:37 of the second as Donskoi converted a one-timer off a pass from Andre Burakovsky on a two-on-one rush.

The Coyotes finally got on the scoreboard on Chychrun’s power-play goal at 13:31 of the second. Chychrun’s heavy wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle beat Grubauer high to the stick side.

It took the Avalanche just 19 seconds to score on Raanta in the third period. Makar skated past an Arizona defender at the blue line and beat Raanta with a backhander.

Calvert took a pass from MacKinnon from behind the net and scored at 2:57 of the third to make it 6-1.

Rantanen capped the scoring at 16:24.

—Field Level Media