The Colorado Avalanche encourage all their defensemen to get involved offensively throughout the game. Josh Manson is taking advantage of it.

The veteran defenseman scored the game-winning goal in Wednesday’s 4-2 win at Ball Arena, blasting a shot from the point past San Jose Sharks netminder Yaroslav Askarov’s glove hand. That gives Manson five goals and 24 points on the season.

If Manson gets really hot down the stretch, he has a chance at matching his career high of 37 points that he set back during the 2017-18 campaign. At the very least, he’s well on his way to the second-best offensive season of his career.

He’s not willing to take any credit for it, though.

“If you look at whenever I’m offensively doing all right, it’s usually (because) the team is good,” Manson said after the game. “Just the team around me is playing well and giving me opportunities. I’m putting pucks in places and guys are just going and making plays themselves. I don’t think it’s anything extra special that I’m doing.”

Manson’s shot looked pretty good to everyone in the building, as it stopped San Jose’s momentum after it scored two quick goals in the third period to tie it up. He didn’t think it was that great, though.

“I don’t know. Kind of middle of the net,” he said. “It was kind of one of those hit and hopes. That’s kind of been my career.”

The 34-year-old, who signed a two-year extension over the summer that will keep him in Colorado through the 2027-28 season, has adjusted well to playing the left side. That has allowed coach Jared Bednar to play Manson and veteran Brent Burns together, creating a big, physical shutdown pair for the blue line.

Manson credits a lot of his season to playing with Burns.

“Making that transition (to the left) is difficult … he made it easier,” Manson said. “He just breaks up so many plays with his stick and makes that first pass, gets pucks out. He’s just so big and hard to get around that it almost makes it easier for me. He’s not giving me bad pucks, he’s not trying to look for me. He’s making direct plays up the ice and it’s helping.”

When the Avalanche return from the break, it’ll be a grind. With 27 games in 52 days, there will be no time for rest. That’s why this break is hitting at the right time, especially for the veteran defensive pair.

Because down the stretch and in the postseason, when the games get a little nastier, they’ll become even more important for Colorado.

Avalanche 4, Sharks 2

What happened: Colorado nearly blew the game after dominating the first 40 minutes.

What went right: Artturi Lehkonen picked up two goals, one of which was exactly what you’d expect from the Finn, as he just battled for the puck inside the crease to give the Avalanche the 1-0 lead. Lehkonen has an outside chance of besting his career high of 27 goals that he set last season.

What went wrong: Sam Girard can usually spin away from anyone, but he couldn’t get away from Philipp Kurashev early in the third and it cost him. The Avalanche defender turned it over at the offensive blue line, giving Kurashev a breakaway that tied the game. “That was just a bad decision,” Bednar said after the game of Girard’s turnover.

Avalanche goal scorers: Lehkonen (18,19), Manson (5), Nelson (29)

Sharks goal scorers: Liljegren (1), Kurashev (7)

Between the pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood picked up the win against his old team with 23 saves.

What’s next: It’s Olympic break time. The Avalanche don’t return until Feb. 25, when they’ll play in Utah at 7 p.m.