Best of NHL: Semyon Varlamov makes 51 saves in Avalanche win

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TORONTO -- Semyon Varlamov made 51 saves, helping the Colorado Avalanche rebound from a miserable loss with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night.

The Avs lost 10-1 to Montreal on Saturday night but rebounded on the back of their Russian goaltender. Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Blake Comeau scored, helping last-place Colorado get its second win in nine games.

Antoine Bibeau made 26 saves in his first NHL start, and Jake Gardiner scored for Toronto.

The Leafs, who won 4-1 in Boston on Saturday, are now 0-5-1 in the second half of back-to-backs this season (see full recap).

Ovechkin nets 200th PP goal in win
WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin scored a power-play goal in the first period and Braden Holtby made it stand up, stopping 20 shots to help the Washington Capitals beat the weary Vancouver Canucks 3-0 on Sunday night.

Washington nursed a 1-0 lead until Ovechkin earned an assist on a goal by Justin Williams with just under 15 minutes left.

Tom Wilson scored into an empty net with 52 seconds remaining to seal the Capitals' fourth straight victory. Washington killed five Vancouver power plays to complete a two-game season sweep.

Holtby was rarely tested in his 25th career shutout, the second this season (see full recap).

Rangers rout Devils, 5-0
NEW YORK -- J.T. Miller and Brady Skjei scored 3:50 apart late in the second period, Antti Raanta stopped 19 shots for his second straight shutout and the New York Rangers beat the New Jersey Devils 5-0 on Sunday night.

Chris Kreider had a goal and an assist, and Brandon Pirri and Jimmy Vesey also scored to give the Rangers their first three-game winning streak since Nov. 12-15.

Raanta, starting for the third time in four nights and coming off a 1-0 overtime win against Chicago on Friday, got his sixth career shutout and improved to 8-1-0 with a 1.65 goals-against average in 10 starts this season.

Cory Schneider finished with 25 saves for New Jersey, which lost its third straight. The Devils had an early goal disallowed after a review and another didn't count because it came after a whistle (see full recap).

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