Kreider's hat trick lifts Rangers over Avalanche
DENVER -- Chris Kreider had three goals for his first hat trick of the season, Henrik Lundqvist returned from a two-game absence for a milestone win and the New York Rangers beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 on Saturday night.
J.T. Miller had two goals and Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan had two assists apiece for the Rangers (26-12-1), who won their 13th road game of the season. New York won nine of its last 12 games overall.
Lundqvist had 25 saves to record his 390th career win, which is the most by a European-born goaltender in the NHL. He passed Dominik Hasek for the mark.
Blake Comeau and Cody McLeod scored for the Avalanche and Calvin Pickard had 31 saves. Colorado (12-23-1) lost its nine straight at home and went winless at Pepsi Center in the month of December. It is the longest home losing streak in franchise history.
Colorado allowed six goals in each of its last three home games.
The Rangers put away the game with goals by Miller and Jimmy Vesey in the third period. They lead the NHL with 135 goals.
McLeod gave Colorado the lead with his first goal of the season at 1:59. His tip of Tyson Barrie's shot from the point beat Lundqvist between the legs.
Kreider scored the next two goals to give the Rangers the lead. The first one came when Stepan sent a pass to the front of the net and Kreider tipped it in as he skated in front of Pickard at 6:09 of the first period.
Kreider made it 2-1 at 16:39 when he stuffed the puck just over the goal line on New York's first power play of the game. Colorado tied it when Comeau tipped in Francois Beauchemin's shot at 18:34.
Miller, who was briefly knocked out of the game in the first period after a hard hit by Colorado's Nikita Zadorov, beat Pickard with a slap shot at 9:30. It was his 11th goal of the season.
Kreider completed his first hat trick of the season with a power-play goal at 14:20 of the second period to give the Rangers a 4-2 lead.
NOTES: New York RW Rick Nash skated Friday and took part in Saturday's morning skate as he tries to work his way back from a groin injury. Nash didn't play Saturday night, but coach Alain Vigneault said he is "coming along. He was out there skating and skating well." ... Colorado G Semyon Varlamov missed his fourth straight game with a groin injury, but coach Jared Bednar said he is improving. ... Rangers D Nick Holden, who played three seasons with Colorado before being traded June 25, has more goals (seven) than the entire Avalanche defensive unit combined. ... Avalanche RW Jarome Iginla played in his 200th straight game, the second-longest current streak in the NHL to Anaheim's Andrew Cogliano (742).