DENVER — What started as a low-scoring game Sunday ended with a crazy number of goals late in the third period. And in the end, the difference came down to an empty goal for Nathan MacKinnon as the Avalanche earned a 5-4 win over the Ottawa Senators at Ball Arena.

Colorado entered third with a 2-0 lead before the onslaught began. First, two goals from the Senators, then two goals from the Avs to regain their two-goal lead. But after Ottawa answered with 3:12 left to make it 4-3, MacKinnon thought he had iced the game with an empty net with 1:15 left. Technically he did, but I don’t think he expected his goal to be the winner. Ottawa’s final score with eight seconds left made it 5-4.

For the Avs, winning five games in a row after losing the first four games is a good sign, especially considering none of their missing forwards have returned yet. Head coach Jared Bednar made several decisions with his roster that paid off tremendously. Whether it’s moving Ross Colton to the wing and placing him on the first line, trusting Parker Kelly as a third-line center, or combining Nikolai Kovalenko and Logan O’Connor with Casey Mittelstadt, almost every decision he has made since arriving in Boston has worked. .

O’Connor and Kovalenko both scored their first goals of the season. Kovalenko’s was also the first of his career. Josh Manson also had his first while Mittelstadt finished with three assists. In goal, Justus Annunen made 26 saves. For most of the evening, it looked like he might concede zero, maybe even one goal. But luckily for the Avs, they were able to hold on. With another home game on Monday, Annunen is expected to take a night off after handling the load for a week.

Mittelstadt’s three assists give him 12 points in nine games. And all this while playing primarily with rookies and guys like O’Connor, who will likely occupy the third or fourth line if the team recovers.

“He’s a super talented guy. He sees things that other players can’t see, and he makes plays that other players can’t make,” Bednar said of Mittelstadt. “I think if you get him the right mix, whatever that chemistry is – to be determined. I’m open to whatever happens in our top six, our top nine, and I hope at some point we have a group of guys that make those decisions difficult.

Mittelstadt’s production was much needed, especially on a night when Bednar spoke openly about the struggles of his top line and top defense pairing. Offensively, Cale Makar had an assist, MacKinnon finished with two points, Colton scored again and Mikko Rantanen added an assist.

Despite Mittelstadt’s big game, I felt another player deserved the “Good” more for this one. Especially given when he scored.

Good: Logan O’Connor

Last season, O’Connor scored three shorthanded goals in three games. He also scored his first career hat trick in Philadelphia and followed that up with a two-goal game just two games later. Multi-goal games are rare for the hard-working bottom-six forward and he has played two out of three games for a total of five goals.

And until tonight, those were his last goals.

O’Connor didn’t score in the final games he played last season before undergoing season-ending hip surgery and was kept off the scoresheet entirely through the first eight matches this year. But when Ottawa fought back and scored twice in just over two minutes, it was O’Connor who restored Colorado’s lead – a lead they wouldn’t relinquish until the end, despite the meant that four more goals were scored before the final. the bell rings.

The goal that gives a team a lead they won’t relinquish is a goal I hold in high esteem. Although MacKinnon’s empty-net goal was the game-winner, O’Connor’s goal was the one that gave the Avs the lead after giving it up. Colton added it shortly after, meaning Ottawa’s third goal still kept Colorado ahead.

It’s always nice to see O’Connor get rewarded. He’s been excellent in his role on the second line and now he’s finally got the monkey off his back in the goals and points department.

Bad: Cale Makar

This evening was collectively difficult for Devon Toews and Makar. Bednar even knocked down Sam Malinski with Makar at one point because he felt his star defender was having a rough night. He was one of only two Avs players to finish with a negative grade. Makar also played a season-low 21:46.

Luckily for the Avs, they still came away with a win and Makar will look to bounce back on Monday against Chicago. The reduction in ice time is also good news for a back-to-back game.