SportsDirect Inc. Ad
SportsDirect Inc. Ad
SportsDirect Inc. Ad
National Hockey League
Colorado 5, Utah 1
When: 9:00 PM ET, Thursday, October 24, 2024
Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Referees: Michael Markovic, Dan O'Rourke
Linesmen: Tyson Baker, Trent Knorr
Attendance: 11131

Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and two assists to lead the Colorado Avalanche to their fourth straight victory, a 5-1 decision over the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday in Salt Lake City.

Cale Makar, Ross Colton, Ivan Ivan and Joel Kiviranta also scored goals and Mikko Rantanen and Nikolai Kovalenko each added two assists for Colorado. Justus Annunen made 25 saves to win his third consecutive start for the Avalanche.

Lawson Crouse scored a goal and Karel Vejmelka finished with 21 saves for Utah, which lost for the fourth time in its past five games (1-3-1).

Colorado took a 1-0 lead at 9:54 of the first period on a power-play goal by Colton, a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle past Vejmelka's glove side. It was Colton's team-leading seventh goal of the season, four of which have come on the power play.

Maker made it 2-0 near the end of the period when he fired a wrist shot from the right faceoff dot under Vejmelka's arm for his third goal and league-leading 15th point.

Utah had a chance to cut the lead in half midway through the second period, but Annunen made a pad save on Kevin Stenlund's short-handed breakaway try.

Colorado extended its lead to 3-0 at the 14:25 mark of the second period. Mittelstadt roofed a rebound from the right doorstep into a wide-open net for his fifth goal.

Ivan made it 4-0 a few minutes later with a power-play goal. He snapped in a spinning wrist shot from the edge of the left circle off a Nathan MacKinnon pass for his first career NHL goal in his eighth game.

Crouse snapped a five-period scoreless drought for Utah with 4:32 to go in the game when he split a pair of defenders at the blue line and then wrapped a backhand shot around Annunen's left pad for his third goal.

Kiviranta answered 39 seconds later to make it 5-1 with his fourth goal. He fired a wrist shot from the top of the right circle past Vejmelka's glove side.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Colorado   Utah
Casey Mittelstadt 3 Points Lawson Crouse 1
Casey Mittelstadt 1 Goals Lawson Crouse 1
Casey Mittelstadt 2 Assists Ian Cole 1
Ross Colton 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Justus Annunen .962 Save Percentage Karel Vejmelka .808
Justus Annunen 25 Saves Karel Vejmelka 21
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Colorado 26 5 2-4 3-3 6 16
Utah 26 1 0-3 2-4 8 41
Upcoming Games
  • Utah will play their next game on the road against Los Angeles. The Hockey Club have a W/L % of .600 after a win and .333 after a loss.
  • Colorado will play their next game at home against Ottawa. The Avalanche have a W/L % of 1.000 after a win and .200 after a loss.