Artturi Lehkonen, Casey Mittelstadt and Logan O’Connor added goals to help the Avalanche snap a two-game skid. Colorado scored three times in a 4:04 span in the third period to crack open a tight game.
Blackwood continues to come up big when he faces the Devils, improving to 2-0 over three starts and allowing just one goal. He was selected by New Jersey in the second round of the 2015 draft.
Jake Allen finished with 31 saves as the Devils fell to 1-1 on their five-game trip. Jack Hughes cut it to 2-1 with 11:32 remaining before Colorado’s goal eruption.
Valeri Nichushkin returned to the Colorado lineup after missing nearly two months because of a lower-body injury. He had five shots in nearly 18 minutes of ice time.
Martin Necas had three assists.
Devils: Allen averted a scary situation after Lehkonen crashed into him in the third period and knocked him over. Luke Hughes was called for a slash, leading to MacKinnon’s goal.
Avalanche: Nichushkin’s return provided a big boost as the Avalanche improved to 210-74-27 when he’s in the lineup.
Devils defenceman Dougie Hamilton had one of the top saves of the night when MacKinnon’s liner trickled past Allen. Hamilton stuck his stick into the crease and prevented the puck from crossing the goal line.
MacKinnon extended his home points streak to 15 games. It’s the third time MacKinnon has had a home points streak of 15 or more games in his career.
The Devils are at Utah on Saturday night. The Avalanche host Minnesota on Friday night.