Sanford hat trick not enough for Senators in return against Avalanche

DENVER -- Zach Sanford scored a hat trick for the Ottawa Senators in a 7-5 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Monday in their first game in eight days because of a pause to comply with NHL COVID-19 protocols.

Ottawa hadn't played since Nov. 14, a 4-0 loss at the Calgary Flames, after having three games postponed because of 10 players in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
"Coming off a week off of games and playing a team like that who's fast and physical is a challenge," Sanford said. "We had our legs, we had that intensity, we kept coming back, kept tying the game."
Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot said, "First game back after five, six days off, whatever it was and playing one of the best teams in the League and you find a way to always come back and tie it up and take a lead. That one hurt."

Alex Newhook scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:33 remaining for Colorado (9-5-1), which has won five straight games. Cale Makar scored twice, Darcy Kuemper made 15 saves, and Nazem Kadri had a goal and three assists to extend his point streak to nine games (five goals, 14 assists).
"It feels great," Kadri said. "I'm dishing and they're scoring. When I'm playing with the guys I'm playing with on this team, it makes it a whole lot easier."
Coach Jared Bednar tied Bob Hartley for second-most wins (193) in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history, behind Michel Bergeron (265). Bednar is 193-154-40 in 387 games.
"Well, it feels good and I'll take it," Bednar said. "I'm more excited about getting the two points tonight on a night when we didn't play very well. I'd rather learn lessons while we're grabbing points than have them after losses. You identify things you need to be better at."
Filip Gustavsson made 33 saves for Ottawa (4-11-1), which is 1-7-1 in its past nine games.
"A lot of good battles, a lot of really poor decisions with the game on the line," Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "It's an unacceptable loss. We talked about not having excuses. We give up the winning goal with 1:33 to go, 100 percent on us."
The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead 50 seconds into the first period when Kadri passed through the crease to Valeri Nichushkin for a tap inside the right post.
The Senators tied 1-1 at 2:53 on Sanford's deflection of Lassi Thomson's shot from the point on a power play.
Makar made it 2-1 at 13:11 with a one-timer off a pass from Gabriel Landeskog, but Artem Zub scored with 46 seconds left in the first to tie it 2-2, shooting from the right circle off a feed from Brady Tkachuk.

The Avalanche made it 3-2 at 13:44 of the second when Devon Toews redirected Kadri's pass from the left side of the crease.
The Senators then tied 3-3 at 16:33 when Makar lost the puck to Tyler Ennis, who fed Sanford for a glove-side shot from the left circle.
The Avalanche outshot the Senators 19-4 in the second period.
"The shots were pretty outnumbered," Sanford said. "We played a pretty solid game, we took care of the puck. We stuck with it and kept battling back to stay in it. They're a good team and we kind of gave them a couple of breaks there towards the end."
Josh Norris gave Ottawa 4-3 lead at 1:03 of the third period on a rebound on a power play.
Makar tied it again 4-4 at 2:45, but Sanford regained the lead for the Senators 5-4 at 5:00 when he banked the puck off Kuemper from behind the net.
Colorado tied 5-5 at 9:08 on Mikko Rantanen's power-play goal before Newhook converted the rebound of Logan O'Connor's shot to make it 6-5.
"A great feeling," Newhook said. "Any time you can do that and put your team up late in the game it's exciting. It wasn't the prettiest win for us, but we got it done and it's a big win for us."
NOTES:Jonas Johansson made one save in the second period when Kuemper left to have a skate repaired. ... Andre Burakovsky had three assists. … Smith said Josh Brown will be out for a lengthy amount of time after the defenseman sustained an upper-body injury in the first period. … Connor Brown, Josh Brown, Alex Formenton, Dylan Gambrell, Victor Mete and Austin Watson played after returning from COVID-19 protocol Saturday. … Defenseman Nick Holden and goalie Matt Murray were scratched after returning from COVID-19 protocol. … Nikita Zaitsev, a defenseman, and Drake Batherson, a forward, didn't make the trip. Zaitsev might be available Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks. Batherson might be available Friday against the Anaheim Ducks. … Landeskog played his 700th NHL game. … Makar has seven points (five goals, two assists) in a three-game streak. … Rantanen has five points (two goals, three assists) in a three-game streak.