Joel Kiviranta helps Avalanche best old friend Alexandar Georgiev, Sharks

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The puck went off Alexandar Georgiev and into the net behind him. Instead of sunken shoulders from the Colorado Avalanche, there were celebrations.

Joel Kiviranta scored twice, including the go-ahead goal with 6:54 left Thursday night, and the Avs defeated Georgiev and the San Jose Sharks, 4-2, at SAP Center. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar had two points each, but the Avs needed Kiviranta’s heroics to fend off a young and rapidly improving Sharks squad.

“When you get depth scoring, you’re going to win those games,” Makar said. “It’s a key to just winning throughout the year, to being consistent.”

Georgiev and Colorado’s new starting goaltender, Mackenzie Blackwood, were traded for each other 10 days before being pitted against each other with their new clubs Thursday night. The Avs scored early on their old pal but needed a comeback late to defeat him.

Kiviranta scored on a rush shortly after the Avs killed off back-to-back penalties, then potted his second of the night with 4:02 remaining to give his club some breathing room.

“There was a lot penalties, a couple big ones in a row,” Kiviranta said of the game-winner. “I was watching for like, where is Val (Nichushkin) because his stick is hot, but it was kind of close so I had to shoot it.”

Colorado’s power play was 5 of 48 with two shorthanded goals allowed in the past 18 games, but the Avs scored twice with the extra man in four tries against Georgiev. The second one was vintage work from this core of Avalanche players.

Mikko Rantanen started the passing sequence, as the puck went around the perimeter to Makar and then to MacKinnon. The reigning league MVP found Rantanen through the heart of the defense for a one-timer and his team-leading 19th goal of the season to even the score with 11:34 remaining in the third.

“Hungry,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said of the power play. “Shooting the puck. … It was competitive and that’s what we need. A little bit of desperation, a little bit of dig in from those guys to check the puck back can go a long way to create those secondary scoring opportunities and we got them tonight.”

San Jose went ahead during a weird, sloppy and ultimately not-very-good second period for the visitors. The Sharks scored twice, and both came after miscommunications/turnovers by Colorado’s best forwards.

Carl Grundstrom tied the game 4:26 into the second after a Rantanen outlet attempt went off Nichushkin’s stick and right to San Jose defenseman Jan Rutta at the top of the Sharks’ offensive zone. Blackwood stopped Rutta’s shot, but Grundstrom had an easy rebound look.

William Eklund pushed San Jose ahead midway through the second. Eklund intercepted a pass from MacKinnon intended for Makar to start the offensive possession, then a misplay by MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen resulted in a quick shot that surprised Blackwood.

The Avs scored on their first shot on goal of the game against Georgiev. Makar’s attempt from the top of the zone missed wide right, but Nichushkin was there to direct the carom off the end boards past his former teammate at 3:40 of the opening period.

Blackwood, who received an ovation from the crowd when he was announced as Colorado’s starting goalie, made a fantastic save on Sharks rookie Will Smith midway through the first period. His second-best save of the period came on fellow rookie Macklin Celebrini after the puck deflected to him off former Avs forward Nikolai Kovalenko, who was also part of the trade and is enjoying his new opportunity on San Jose’s top line.

“It’s a big one for us because we’ve been kind of stumbling around since our last road trip, not quite playing the best hockey we can play,” Bednar said. “Tonight wasn’t perfect, but I thought it was a good all-around effort.

“There’s always added motivation to make sure we’re digging in for a guy that used to be here and was playing in the pipes tonight.”

Want more Avalanche news? Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis.