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Donskoi scores 3 goals as Avalanche beat Predators 9-4

Pekka Rinne, who came into the game with a 2.31 goals-against average versus Colorado, gave up five goals on 22 shots.
Credit: AP
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves, front left, celebrates scoring a goal with center Nazem Kadri, back left, center Tyson Jost, center, and left wing J.T. Compher during the second period of the team's NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Joonas Donskoi scored his first career hat trick and the Colorado Avalanche used a six-goal second period to beat the Nashville Predators 9-4 on Thursday night.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and three assists before sitting out the third with an upper-body injury. Cale Makar and Ryan Graves each added a goal and two assists for the Avalanche, who snapped an eight-game home losing streak to Nashville dating back to Jan. 8, 2016.

Nashville led 3-2 after Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene scored in the first 4:55 of the second period but Colorado took over with six goals in eight minutes. Donskoi and Graves scored 20 seconds apart and Andre Burakovsky got another 1:11 later to make it 5-3 and chase Predators goalie Pekka Rinne.

Rinne, who came into the game with a 2.31 goals-against average versus Colorado, gave up five goals on 22 shots.

Juuse Saros came on and allowed a short-handed goal to Matt Nieto 50 seconds later. Matt Calvert scored at 10:01 and Donskoi's second of the night at 13:26 made it 8-3.

Craig Smith scored in the third period for Nashville, and Donskoi completed the hat trick with his eighth goal of the season at 17:53.

Pavel Francouz made 20 saves for the win in place of Philipp Grubauer. Colorado coach Jared Bednar said Grubauer will miss two games with a lower-body injury.

Makar scored his second of the season 50 seconds into the game. Ryan Ellis tied it midway through the first and MacKinnon got his ninth during a 5-on-3 power play late in the first.

NOTES: Saros finished with 19 saves. ... Colorado D Nikita Zadorov sat out the third period with an upper-body injury. ... Rinne is 25-10-2 against the Avalanche. ... The Avalanche recalled goalie Adam Werner from Colorado of the AHL. Werner, the team's fifth-round draft pick in 2016, was 5-4 with a 2.88 goals-against average in nine games with the Eagles. The Avalanche also recalled C T.J. Tynan from the AHL.

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