SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Ross Colton scored twice, Justus Annunen made 25 saves in his first start of the season and the Colorado Avalanche beat the winless San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Sunday.
Cale Makar had an empty-net goal and two assists, and Joel Kiviranta also scored for Colorado. William Eklund scored for San Jose.
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Colorado Avalanche center Calum Ritchie (71), left, checks San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (49) looks to make a pass during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)
San Jose Sharks center Ty Dellandrea, left, checks Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)
San Jose Sharks center Luke Kunin, left, and Colorado Avalanche center Ross Colton (20) fight for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (42) and San Jose Sharks center Luke Kunin (11) fist fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024.
Colton has five goals in his last three games, also scoring twice Friday night in Anaheim in Colorado’s first victory of the season. He gave Colorado a 2-0 lead in the first period, connecting on a power play at 6:23 and at even strength with 3:23 left.
Makar has 10 assists through six games, and has points in each one.
Eklund cut it to 2-1 late in the first. Joel Kiviranta gave Colorado a 3-1 lead midway through the third, and Makar added the empty-netter.
Vitek Vanecek stopped 18 shots for San Jose.
Avalanche: Colorado is carrying three goalies on its three-game trip. Alexandar Georgiev — the NHL victory leader last season — has struggled to start the season. Georgiev backed up Annunen on Sunday. Kaapo Kahkonen, who was claimed off waivers from Winnipeg, could get a start on the trip.
Sharks: San Jose, which did not win its first game last year until November, is one of two teams (Nashville) still without a victory.
The Sharks outshot the Avalanche after giving up two early goals, but Kiviranta's forehand-to-backhand goal midway through the third after a pinpoint feed from the point by Josh Manson stunted San Jose's momentum.
San Jose, which allowed seven power play opportunities in each of its prior two contests prior to Sunday, had to defend a 5-on-3 power play for the third straight game.
Avalanche: At Seattle on Tuesday night.
Sharks: At Anaheim on Tuesday night.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Colorado Avalanche center Calum Ritchie (71), left, checks San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (49) looks to make a pass during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)
San Jose Sharks center Ty Dellandrea, left, checks Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)
San Jose Sharks center Luke Kunin, left, and Colorado Avalanche center Ross Colton (20) fight for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Minh Connors)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson (42) and San Jose Sharks center Luke Kunin (11) fist fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024.
ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.
The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.
The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.
The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.
The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”
The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.
Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.
The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.
On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.
Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.
“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”
Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.
Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.
“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.
Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.
Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
