DENVER (AP) \u2014 Josh Manson scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 in their final game before the Olympic break Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
Artturi Lehkonen scored twice and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists for Colorado to reach another career milestone.<\/p>\n
Advertisement<\/p>\n
MacKinnon joined Joe Sakic as the only players in franchise history with 700 assists. Sakic, the team president, finished his career with 1,016.<\/p>\n
Brock Nelson scored an empty-net goal, Valeri Nichushkin had three assists and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots for the Avalanche.<\/p>\n
Timothy Liljegren and Philippe Kurashev scored 2:51 apart early in the third to tie it for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 38 saves, but San Jose enters the three-week break on a four-game skid.<\/p>\n
Manson broke the tie when his one-timer from the point got by a screened Askarov at 12:44. Askarov later went off for an extra skater, and Nelson scored his 29th goal at 18:43.<\/p>\n
Advertisement<\/p>\n
Colorado has stumbled since starting the season with just two regulation losses through the first 39 games. The Avs had gone 5-7-2 since Jan. 4 before beating San Jose and had their 11-point lead over Minnesota in the Central Division reduced to five.<\/p>\n
Colorado, which has played three fewer games than the Wild, has 83 points heading into the Olympic break.<\/p>\n
Lehkonen, who will play for Finland in Italy, gave the Avs a 1-0 lead early in the second after a battle in San Jose\u2019s crease. The goal was upheld upon review, but his second and 19th of the season was a clean wrister from the right circle on MacKinnon’s 700th assist.<\/p>\n
Liljegren scored his first goal of the season 43 seconds into the third period and Kurashev tied it at 3:34 when he scored his seventh.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
Sharks: Host the Calgary Flames on Feb. 26.<\/p>\n
Avalanche: Host the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 26.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n