Avalanche score 5 goals in second period and end Hurricanes' 8-game win streak, 6-4

DENVER -- Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and three assists, Mikko Rantanen had two goals and an assist, and the Colorado Avalanche beat Carolina 6-4 on Saturday night, snapping the Hurricanes' eight-game win streak.

Cale Makar, Artturi Lehkonen and Sam Malinski also scored for Colorado, and Alexandar Georgiev had 27 saves.

Jordan Martinook, had two goals and an assist for Carolina, and Jack Drury and Martin Necas also scored. Seth Jarvis had two assists and Spencer Martin finished with 23 saves for the Hurricanes, who had not lost since Oct. 19.

The Hurricanes led 3-2 after Necas scored with 7:34 left in the the second before MacKinnon and Lehkonen scored 53 seconds apart. Carolina unsuccessfully challenged Lehkonen’s tally for goaltender interference, putting Colorado on the power play.

Jalen Chatfield’s high-sticking minor gave the Avalanche a 5-on-3 and Rantanen scored a power-play goal with 1:11 left to give Colorado three goals in three minutes.

Martin was pulled for an extra skater in the final two minutes and Rantanen scored into the empty net with 50 seconds remaining to seal it.

Hurricanes: No player on the roster has more than nine goals this season yet Carolina had won 10 of their previous 11.

Avalanche: Despite allowing four goals, Georgiev was solid in net for the second straight game and likely earned another start on Monday.

Trailing 2-0 and on the penalty kill, Makar jumped the passing lane in his own zone to steal Shayne Gostisbehere’s pass. He skated in on Martin and beat him with a slapshot to the far post to snap a goal drought of 89 minutes, 17 seconds. It started Colorado's five-goal second period.

Carolina had not allowed more than four goals in a game this season and gave up five in a half of a period.

Hurricanes visit Vegas on Monday, and Avalanche host Nashville.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL