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National Hockey League
Colorado 2, Los Angeles 0
When: 9:00 PM ET, Friday, March 12, 2021
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
Referees: Tom Chmielewski, Tim Peel
Linesmen: Kyle Flemington, Ryan Gibbons
Attendance: N/A

Philipp Grubauer had 18 saves, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist, and the host Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 on Friday night.

It was Grubauer's fourth shutout of the season and 15th of his career. Nathan MacKinnon also had a goal for the Avalanche, who have won two straight.

Calvin Petersen had a career-high 44 saves in his return to the lineup.

Kings defenseman Olli Maata was placed on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list on Friday while Petersen was activated off of the list. Troy Grosenick, the last-minute starter and hero of the win over Anaheim on Wednesday, served as his backup while top netminder Jonathan Quick was placed on injured reserve.

Petersen came up big most of the game, stopping several point-blank shots, including one on Gabriel Landeskog late in the second period off a great pass from MacKinnon.

He couldn't stop them all, however. With Colorado cycling the puck in the Los Angeles zone, Rantanen got it near the blueline, barely kept it in and then beat Petersen with a shot to his short side at 9:18 of the second. It was Rantanen's team-leading 13th of the season.

The Kings had just 13 shots through the first two periods and went more than 14 minutes without a shot on goal, a span that bridged the second and third periods. They got a chance to put pressure on Grubauer when Matt Calvert went off for hooking at 11:03 of the third but managed just two shots on goal.

Landeskog nearly gave the Avalanche a two-goal lead with 5:26 left but the officials ruled he knocked the puck in with his glove and waved it off.

Los Angeles put several shots on Grubauer on another power play late in the third but couldn't score. Petersen went off for an extra skater with 1:35 remaining and MacKinnon scored into an empty net 12 seconds later.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Los Angeles   Colorado
N/A Points Mikko Rantanen 2
N/A Goals Mikko Rantanen 1
N/A Assists Mikko Rantanen 1
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Calvin Petersen .978 Save Percentage Philipp Grubauer 1.000
Calvin Petersen 44 Saves Philipp Grubauer 18
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Los Angeles 18 0 0-3 2-2 9 32
Colorado 46 2 0-2 3-3 11 31
Upcoming Games
  • Colorado will play their next game at home against Los Angeles. The Avalanche have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .800 after a loss.
  • Los Angeles will play their next game on the road against Colorado. The Kings have a W/L % of .545 after a win and .357 after a loss.