DENVER — Eight days ago, the Colorado Avalanche went to Northern New Jersey on the second half of a back-to-back and were overwhelmed by a rested Devils team.

It took a period to really get going, but the Avs exacted their revenge Wednesday night at Ball Arena.

Captain Gabe Landeskog scored a key power-play goal and became the franchise’s all-time leader in hits, while Mackenzie Blackwood made 20 saves in a 5-2 victory. The Avs outshot the Devils, who played Tuesday night in Dallas, 44-22, including 21-6 in the second period.

Colorado dominated the final 40 minutes. One night after the Devils beat the Stars in Connor Hellebuyck’s debut with the club, the Avs poured on the pressure.

The second power-play unit came through late in the club’s second opportunity of the night. Jaden Schwartz found Landeskog at the right post for his fifth goal of the season at 10:58 of the middle period.

Nazem Kadri put the Avs ahead at 2:45 of the third. Nicolas Roy found the rebound of a Brent Burns shot in the slot and slipped the puck to Kadri near the left post for his second goal of the season.

Burns set up another goal 62 seconds later. His outlet pass to Parker Kelly ignited a rush, and then Kelly finished it with his second goal of the season.

Nathan MacKinnon and Schwartz added goals on back-to-back shifts later in the third to end any doubt. Sam Malinski had assists on both goals — he had three points in his first 11 games of the season.

The Avs were coming off a 6-2 loss in Nashville on Saturday, the third time in four games that Colorado did not look like its normal self. One of those losses was in Newark in a game where the Devils had 23-5 and 3-17 advantages in shots on goal before a late flurry by the Avs.

New Jersey had the lone goal of the opening period, and it also came with Colorado on the power play. Connor Brown intercepted a pass from MacKinnon and started a 2-on-1 the other way. Brown tried to pass it Luke Hughes, but the puck went off Cale Makar and through Blackwood’s legs at 12:21 of the first.

It was the fourth shorthanded goal allowed by the Avs this season, which is tied for the most in the NHL. Colorado led the league with 13 shorthanded goals against last season. While the Avs do have seven power-play goals this season and a few tallies that came seconds after a man advantage ended, Colorado has still been struggling to generate chances when it is 5-on-4.

The Avs entered the night 31st in the league in shot attempts per 60 minutes at 5-on-4, and 29th in expected goals for per 60, per Natural Stat Trick. Two of their power-play goals have come at 5-on-3, while three of them were scored by the second unit on opening night against the Kings.

Colorado had just one shot attempt on the first opportunity, but the second one was better with six and Landeskog’s goal.

Footnotes

Josh Manson left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return. His left skate appeared to stick in the ice and turned awkwardly as he fell to the ice near the Avalanche bench. This was the healthiest the Avs have been this season at the start of the night. Roy returned from a lower-body injury, leaving just Zachary L’Heureux (upper body) out of the lineup.

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