Artturi Lehkonen scores hat trick as Avalanche beats Utah in growing regional rivalry

Corey Masisak, The Denver Post on Dec 28, 2024

Published in Hockey

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SALT LAKE CITY — Geography says there’s potential for a rivalry to develop between the Colorado Avalanche and Utah HC. It’s still on the players and teams, not map locations, to build a proper one.

The Avs and their new Rocky Mountain neighbors got closer to making potential a reality Friday night. Artturi Lehkonen scored his first career hat trick, while Nathan MacKinnon had three points and his first fight in three seasons, as the Avalanche defeated Utah, 4-1, in a spirited affair Friday night at Delta Center.

Mackenzie Blackwood, who signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract earlier in the day, made 34 saves for the Avs in another quality start since arriving from San Jose in a trade 18 days ago.

Lehkonen scored his second goal with 5:14 remaining in the third period. He banged home the rebound of a Valeri Nichushkin shot for his 12th goal in 25 games. MacKinnon’s three assists pushed his NHL-leading total to 60 points.

Not only did MacKinnon help set up Colorado’s four goals, he logged his first official fight since March 2022. The temperature on the ice was percolating during the first period, but it boiled over in the final seconds of the second.

MacKinnon played the puck from behind the Utah net to the left point before Barrett Hayton came over to hit him. The two centers engaged and quickly dropped the gloves for a brief bout. Seconds later after the horn to end the period, another larger scrum developed around the Utah net.

It was MacKinnon’s first official fight since March 27, 2002, when he squared off with Minnesota’s Matthew Dumba. It’s the ninth fight of his career, per Hockey Fights, and the fourth against someone from this franchise — the first three coming against an Arizona player before the move.

This was Josh Manson’s first game since Nov. 29 because of a hand/wrist injury. He’s built a career on not being shy about the physical side of the game, and looked like he had some pent-up aggression to let out. He was an active combatant with an assortment of post-whistle activities, particularly with Utah forward Michael Carcone.

Colorado scored first in the second period with a pretty build up. MacKinnon, normally a zone-entry machine, left the puck for Sam Malinski in the neutral zone. The second-year defenseman drove the puck deep into the Utah zone and left and found a way to get it back to MacKinnon as the trailer on the play. The reigning MVP snapped a perfect pass to Lehkonen near the left post for an easy one and a 1-0 lead.

Utah carried the play early in the third period and leveled the score, much to the delight of the white towel-waving home fans. With Mikko Rantanen and MacKinnon — the NHL’s two leading scorers entering the day — sitting next to each other in the penalty box after the former took a hooking penalty, Nick Schmaltz deflected a shot past Blackwood with Utah on the power play.

Still, Blackwood held off Utah’s third-period surge and won for the fourth time in five starts since joining the club.