Valeri Nichushkin, Jonathan Drouin and Jack Drury each scored a goal, and Oliver Kylington had two assists for the Avalanche (35-24-2), who have won two straight and three of their past five games. Mackenzie Blackwood made 18 saves.

Regardless of Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar's decision Wednesday night, the New Jersey Devils were going to see a familiar face in the opposing net.

Jonathan Drouin and Jack Drury scored 52 seconds apart in a three-goal second period and the Colorado Avalanche beat weary Minnesota 5-2 on Friday night to pull even with the third-place Wild in the Central Division.

LOUIS — For the second straight year, the Colorado Avalanche were hot going into the midseason ... “I liked our first 15 minutes probably and then it just disappeared,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “It just disappeared.” Colorado had won four ...

The Avs hope Valeri Nichushkin could play as soon as Wednesday, the first game of the homestand, against New Jersey. That would be the healthiest the team has been all year, with just defenseman Josh Manson missing from a Landeskog-less optimal lineup.

The Avalanche in recent ... is when you want to take them." Jared Bednar is starting take advantage of having a face-off ace again. With 65 seconds left in Colorado's final game before the break ...

It’s a years-long trend since he arrived in Denver and had a breakout season when the Avs won the Stanley Cup. Just in the years since the title, Colorado is 89-30-10 during the regular season when Nichushkin plays and 46-43-6 when he doesn’t.

Valeri Nichushkin is going to return Wednesday night against the New Jersey Devils. He’s been out since Dec. 31 with a lower-body injury. He’s expected to start on the second line and the second power-play unit.

Martin Necas had three assists, and Artturi Lehkonen, Casey Mittelstadt and Logan O'Connor scored for the Avalanche (34-24-2), who had lost two straight since returning from the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Cale Makar had two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves.

Valeri Nichushkin returns to the Colorado Avalanche lineup Wednesday night for the first time in nearly two months after recovering from a lower-body injury.