Kings’ 4-game winning streak ends with shutout loss to Avalanche

DENVER — The Kings’ red-hot offense ran out of steam in the Rocky Mountains.

Martin Necas had two goals and an assist, Jonathan Drouin and Logan O’Connor also sored, and the streaking Colorado Avalanche beat the Kings, 4-0, on Thursday night as their fourth straight win brought and end to the Kings’ four-game winning streak.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves for his third shutout with Colorado and fourth overall this season. Cale Makar added two assists for the Avalanche (45-25-3, 93 points), who are 12-1-1 in their last 14 games.

O’Connor and Necas scored goals 92 seconds apart early in the second period, Necas added a power-play goal later in the frame, and Drouin had another on a man-advantage in the third.

Nathan MacKinnon had the primary assist on Drouin’s goal to extend his home point streak to 23 games. He has an NHL-best 108 points, three ahead of Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, who had four points Thursday night.

David Rittich had 20 saves for the Kings (40-22-9, 89 points), who had won nine of 10 games and had scored 20 goals during their four-game winning streak (including two games when they had seven) but struggled to generate chances against Colorado.

The Kings remained two points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division with a game in hand. Edmonton lost, 6-1, in Seattle on Thursday.

Both teams had great opportunities when the game was still scoreless. With 7:50 left in the first period, Jeff Malott intercepted a clearing attempt by Colorado in the right circle and was alone on Blackwood, but the goaltender made the save.

Early in the second period, the Avalanche nearly got the first goal when a deflection went to the front of the net, but Rittich stopped Valerie Nichushkin’s wrister to keep it scoreless.

Colorado then scored two quick goals to break the tie. O’Connor got the first one when Makar stickhandled down the left side, slid a pass into the slot to O’Connor, who tipped a floater over Rittich’s left shoulder and in at 5:25.

Just 92 seconds later, Samuel Girard took a shot from the point that went behind the net. Necas picked it up and jammed it inside the post at 6:57 for a 2-0 lead.

Later in the period, defenseman Devon Toews blocked a shot at an open net as Blackwood was sprawled on the ice. Kings forward Warren Foegele was whistled for goaltender interference when he fell over Blackwood, giving Colorado its second power play.

The Avalanche took advantage when Necas’ one-timer from the left circle beat Rittich at 15:29.

Mikey Anderson took a tripping minor early in the third period and Drouin buried a pass from MacKinnon at 4:56.

Colorado remained five points behind the Dallas Stars for second place in the Central Division. Dallas, which has a game in hand, defeated the Calgary Flames, 5-2, on Thursday.

NOTABLE

MacKinnon had a 35-game home streak last season when he finished with 140 points.

UP NEXT

The Kings head home to face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at 4 p.m.