Varlamov's 51-save effort leads Avs past Leafs
TORONTO -- Semyon Varlamov stopped 51 shots, Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon scored power-play goals, and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 Sunday night.
The Avalanche came back from a 10-1 loss to the Canadiens at Montreal on Saturday night, a game in which Varlamov allowed six goals on 16 shots in relief of Calvin Pickard.
Blake Comeau added an empty-net goal in the third period Sunday for the Avalanche (11-15-1), who finished a four-game road trip at 2-2-0.
The Maple Leafs (11-11-5) took their fourth loss in the past five games. They defeated the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
Jake Gardiner scored for Toronto.
Antoine Bibeau made his NHL debut in the Maple Leafs' goal and made 26 saves.
Colorado opened the scoring at 18:51 of the first period on a goal by Rantanen, his fourth of the season. It came with Tyler Bozak sitting out a tripping penalty.
Toronto outshot Colorado 21-8 in the first period, the Maple Leafs' season high for shots in a period.
Colorado outshot Toronto 15-10 in the second period.
The Maple Leafs had their fourth power play of the game only 18 seconds into the third period when Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog was penalized for boarding.
The Avalanche killed off the penalty.
Six minutes into the third, the Leafs stormed the Colorado goal but Varlamov had the answer each time.
The Avalanche went on their second power play of the game at 6:23 of the third when Toronto's James van Riemsdyk took a tripping penalty.
MacKinnon scored his eighth goal of the season on the power play at 7:27, beating Bibeau from the slot after splitting Maple Leafs defenders.
Toronto's Leo Komarov was called for a high-sticking double minor at the same time as the goal, impeding the Leafs' chances of a comeback.
The Maple Leafs had a power play at 15:55 when Colorado's Patrick Wiercioch was called for delay of game. It became a two-man advantage when Nikita Zadorov was penalized for cross-checking at 17:09.
Gardiner scored his fifth goal of the season at 17:24.
The Maple Leafs removed their goaltender in an attempt to tie the game, and Comeau's shot from the Colorado defensive zone went all the into the empty goal at 18:49.
NOTES: D Martin Marincin picked up an undisclosed injury Saturday in the Maple Leafs' 4-1 win over the Bruins, and he did not play Sunday. He returned for the game against Boston after missing the previous game because of illness. D Connor Carrick took his spot vs. the Avalanche. ... Saturday was the first of two meetings between the teams. The Maple Leafs visiting Colorado on Dec. 22. ... RW Jarome Iginla played in his 1,500th game Saturday in the Avalanche's 10-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. He became the 16th NHL player to reach that plateau. ... The Maple Leafs will host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday in the second of five games in a row at home. ... The Avalanche finished a four-game trip Sunday. They return home to play the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.