Ducks are buried by the Colorado Avalanche, 8-2

DENVER —  Joel Kiviranta and Andrew Cogliano scored 21 seconds apart in a five-goal third period, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Ducks 8-2 on Wednesday night.

Kiviranta, signed to a two-way contract earlier this week, also had two assists. Valeri Nichushkin had two goals, Samuel Girard and Devon Toews had a goal and an assist each, and Fredrik Olofsson and Ross Colton also scored for Colorado. Alexandar Georgiev had 15 saves.

Max Jones and Sam Carrick scored and Lukas Dostal stopped 30 shots for the Ducks, who were playing the second game of a back-to-back.

Colorado led 3-1 after two periods but put it away when Colton and Nichushkin struck 1 minute 58 seconds apart early in the third to go ahead 5-1.

Jones scored to make it 5-2, but Kiviranta and Cogliano scored quickly and Toews capped the big third period with his second goal of the season at 15:18

Girard got Colorado on the board early 6:40 into the game with his first goal of the season. Nichushkin made it 2-0 at 12:40 when he deflected a shot by Toews, but Carrick deflected Radko Gudas’ shot at 19:27 of the first to make it 2-1. It was just the second shot on goal for Anaheim.

Colorado was without defenseman Josh Manson for the second straight game due to an upper-body injury, but Cogliano, who sat out two games in a row because of an upper-body injury, returned and scored his first of the season.

Cale Makar had three assists and Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Johnson had two assists each for the Avalanche. Colorado has won two straight since being blown out 8-2 at home to St. Louis on Saturday night.