MacKinnon has goal and assist as Avalanche beat Predators 4-2 for 11th straight home win

DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored his NHL-leading 26th goal and added an assist, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 on Saturday night for their 11th straight home win.

MacKinnon, who has scored in six straight home games, leads the league with 55 points.

Jack Drury, Victor Olofsson and Valeri Nichushkin also scored for Colorado, which is 13-0-2 on home ice this season. The 11 straight wins matches the second-longest in franchise history, previously accomplished Jan. 31-March 27 of last season.

The longest home winning streak is 18 games set during the 2021-22 Stanley Cup season.

The Avalanche’s 53 points through 32 games is tied for third all-time and they have just two regulation losses this season. They have earned at least a point in 23 of their last 24 games.

Jonathan Marchessault and Tyson Jost scored for Nashville and Justus Annunen stopped 38 shots against the team that traded him to the Predators at the start of the 2024-25 season. Nashville had won six of its last eight games, including a 4-3 shootout win over Colorado on Tuesday night.

Scott Wedgewood, the player the Avalanche got in exchange for Annunen, made 27 saves and tied Dallas’ Jake Oettinger for the most wins with 14.

MacKinnon put the Avalanche ahead 1:27 after the opening faceoff, the ninth time this season they have scored in the first 1:30. Drury’s fifth off the season, which deflected off defenseman Nicolas Hague’s knee, made it 2-0 at 11:47.

Marchessault cut the lead in half with a power-play goal 50 seconds later.

The Predators carried the play to start the second period but Colorado go the only goal when Olofsson scored on a delayed penalty at 9:57.

Nichushkin scored an empty-net goal with 3:31 remaining in the third.

Predators: At St. Louis on Monday night.

Avalanche: at Seattle on Tuesday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, left, loses control of the puck as Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg covers in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Gavin Brindley, left, has his shot deflected off the pad of Nashville Predators goaltender Justus Annunen in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Nashville Predators center Jonathan Marchessault, front right, redirects the puck at Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood, left, while battling for position with defenseman Josh Manson in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen, right, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche center Gavin Brindley, top left, falls on Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, left, shoots the puck past Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Perbix for a goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DHARAMSALA, India (AP) — Aiden Markram helped South Africa avoid another unwanted batting record but couldn't prevent India winning a lopsided third Twenty20 match by seven wickets on Sunday.

Put into bat, South Africa rallied from 7-3 to 117 all out in 20 overs and India replied with 120-3 in 15.5 overs under the floodlights at Dharamsala to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

South Africa had looked in danger of scoring fewer runs than its series-opening 74, the team’s worst total in T20 cricket, before Markram’s defiant knock. The South Africa captain hit two sixes and six fours in his 46-ball innings before he was caught behind against pacer Arshdeep Singh (2-13 in four overs).

India made light work of the chase. Openers Abhishek Sharma (35 runs off 18 balls) and Shubman Gill took the hosts to 43-0 after 3.1 overs, the same stage at which South Africa was 7-3.

Sharma and Gill shared an opening stand of 60, which was ended by Markram running to catch Sharma off the bowling of Corbin Bosch. Gill was bowled by Marco Jansen for a run-a-ball 28.

Tilak Varma (26 not out) and Shivam Dube (10 not out) took India home in the latest twist in an unpredictable series. South Africa won the second T20 by 51 runs after losing the first match by 101 runs.

The fourth T20 is on Wednesday at Lucknow.

The series is in preparation for the T20 World Cup in India in February. India is the defending champion after beating South Africa in a gripping end to the final in 2024.

India won the ODI series against South Africa 2-1 after losing the test series 2-0.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

India's Harshit Rana celebrates the wicket of South Africa's Quinton de Kock during the third T20 cricket match between India and South Africa in Dharamshala, India, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)

South Africa's captain Aiden Markram plays a shot during the third T20 cricket match between India and South Africa in Dharamshala, India, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)

India's Tilak Varma plays a shot during the third T20 cricket match between India and South Africa in Dharamshala, India, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)

India's Shubman Gill, left, and Abhishek Sharma greets each other during the third T20 cricket match between India and South Africa in Dharamshala, India, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)

India's Arshdeep Singh, center, celebrates with teammates the wicket of South Africa's Reeza Hendricks during the third T20 cricket match between India and South Africa in Dharamshala, India, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)