Rantanen nets hat trick, Avalanche beat Canadiens

Mikko Rantanen scored three times for his first career hat trick, Calvin Pickard stopped 27 shots and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 on Tuesday night.

Andreas Martinsen added a goal as the last-place Avalanche posted back-to-back wins for the first time since November. Even more, it's the first time all season they've won two straight at home.

Pickard picked up his second shutout of the season, withstanding a late flurry at the end. He also had an assist.

All-Star goaltender Carey Price wasn't sharp early, giving up two quick goals, and the Canadiens never recovered. This after routing Colorado 10-1 on Dec. 10 in Montreal.