The Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson shoots the puck into the offensive zone as the Colorado Avalanche’s J.T. Compher defends during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Nicolas Aube-Kubel, second from right, is congratulated on his goal by, from far left, defenseman Erik Johnson, center Andrew Cogliano and defenseman Bowen Byram during the first period of their game against the Kings on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick deflects a Colorado Avalanche shot during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen, left, picks up the puck as Kings defenseman Olli Maatta pursues during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin (13) celebrates his goal with teammate J.T. Compher (37) as Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, the Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson (33) and Trevor Moore (12) look on during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Kings center Quinton Byfield controls the puck and looks to pass as the Colorado Avalanche’s Josh Manson defends and Colorado goaltender Darcy Kuemper minds the net during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Kings center Anze Kopitar, left, collides with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen, right, and Kings defenseman Olli Maatta vie for control of the puck during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, right, fights for control of the puck with Kings center Adrian Kempe during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin (13) looks on as a puck shot by Nathan MacKinnon beats Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick for a goal during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Devon Toews, right, blocks a shot by the Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Kings center Trevor Moore, right, looks to pass the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar defends during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Andrew Cogliano (11) and the Kings’ Olli Maatta, left, look on as a puck shot by Nicolas Aube-Kubel beats Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick for a goal during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Nicolas Aube-Kubel (16) celebrates his goal with Bowen Byram (4) and Erik Johnson (6) as Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick looks on during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. Colorado led 4-0 before the game was 11 minutes old and rolled to a 9-3 win. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Nicolas Aube-Kubel skates by the team bench to celebrate with teammates after scoring a goal during the first period of their game against the Kings on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Kings center Phillip Danault, back left, tries to control the puck as Colorado Avalanche defensemen Cale Makar, back right, and Devon Toews defend during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Samuel Girard controls the puck away from the Kings’ Quinton Byfield during the first period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Kings left wing Viktor Arvidsson, center, fights for control of the puck with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard, left, and right wing Valeri Nichushkin during the second period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Kings center Adrian Kempe reacts after scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the second period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper makes a glove save against the Kings during the second period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper pauses on the ice during a timeout in the second period of their game against the Kings on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Nico Sturm, left, and Kings center Blake Lizotte race to a puck in the corner during the second period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper, left, makes a pad save on a shot by Kings center Phillip Danault during the second period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Kings coach Todd McLellan watches during the second period of their game against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Kings center Anze Kopitar, front, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar defends during the second period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper blocks a tipped shot off the stick of the Kings’ Gabe Vilardi as Cale Makar defends during the second period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
The Kings’ Troy Stecher blocks a shot from the Colorado Avalanche as goaltender Cal Petersen reaches across the crease during the second period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Andre Burakovsky, left, is congratulated by Nathan MacKinnon after he scored on an assist from MacKinnon during the second period of their victory over the Kings on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper, left, makes a save against Kings center Gabe Vilardi, center, who had slipped past Colorado defenseman Cale Makar during the second period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) scores against Kings goaltender Cal Petersen during the third period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin, left, reaches for the puck as Kings center Phillip Danault defends during the third period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson shoots the puck as the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar defends during the third period on Wednesday night in Denver. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Kings goaltender Cal Petersen gives up a goal to Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon during the third period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, center, is congratulated by defenseman Erik Johnson, right, after he scored his third goal of the game, as Kings defenseman Jordan Spence skates past during the third period on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) skates to the bench with teammates as hats fly on to the ice after he scored his third goal of the game for a hat trick during the third period of their game against the Kings on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Kings goaltender Cal Petersen makes a glove save during the third period of their game against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
DENVER — The Kings’ remaining games do not feature many playoff contenders, which should be a relief because they had no answer for one of the best teams in the league on Wednesday night.
Nathan MacKinnon had three goals and two assists, Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored twice in a dominant first period and the Colorado Avalanche set a franchise record with their 53rd win by routing the Kings, 9-3, at Ball Arena.
Valeri Nichushkin added two goals, Cale Makar had a goal and three assists, Andre Burakovsky also scored and Darcy Kuemper made 29 saves for the Avalanche, who led 4-0 before the game was 11 minutes old.
“We can put earrings on a pig if we want, but it’s not going to make it any better,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said in a 55-second postgame media session. “That was awful and we move on. We get an opportunity to play more games, so good for us and we have to be better.”
Colorado won its seventh straight and improved to 53-14-6, besting the 2013-14 and 2000-01 teams for most victories. The Avalanche also moved two points ahead of Florida for the best record in the NHL and are a franchise-best 29-4-3 at home.
Adrian Kempe, Alex Iafallo and Phillip Danault scored for the Kings, who have lost four of their past five games. Jonathan Quick allowed three goals on 10 shots before he was pulled while starting on consecutive nights for the first time in over four years. Cal Peterson allowed six more goals on 25 shots.
The Kings remained in a playoff spot in third place in the Pacific Division, but they sit only three points ahead of Vegas, which has two games in hand.
“Definitely not the performance you want tonight, especially at this time of year,” Kings captain Anze Kopitar said. “But we’ve got to look at this one and correct stuff and make sure this is not going to repeat, because it is crunch time for our team.”
The Kings host Columbus on Saturday night in the first of five consecutive games against teams out of playoff contention and four of those will be played in Southern California (one at the Ducks).
The schedule did the Kings no favors on Wednesday. They won in Chicago, 5-2, on Tuesday night then got into Denver early Wednesday to play at altitude while the Avalanche had been off since Saturday.
And Colorado opened with relentless pressure and crisp passing that overwhelmed the weary Kings. Aube-Kubel scored 2:54 in and Nichushkin tallied 39 seconds later. MacKinnon scored on the power play and Aube-Kubel scored 41 seconds after that to make it 4-0 with 9:04 left in the first period.
Kempe scored his 33rd goal early in the second and Iafallo made it 4-2 with a slap shot just inside the blue line at 10:40 of the second. But the Avs steadied things when MacKinnon fed Burakovsky in the high slot at 13:05.
MacKinnon scored on a breakaway on a stretch pass from Makar early in the third period and picked up his third career hat trick with 10:08 left to make it 9-2.
Fans chanted “We want 10!” over the final minutes, but had to settle for a Colorado season-high nine goals.
“I didn’t want to score,” Aube-Kubel said with a smile. “There were no hats left.”
Added MacKinnon: “Nine’s enough, I think.”
NOTES
Quick started back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 18-19, 2018. He last played on consecutive nights Feb. 9-10 that same season. … Avs rookie Bowen Byram assisted on the first two goals in his fourth game back after being on personal leave for nearly three months with concussion issues. … Makar’s goal was the 60th for Colorado defensemen, the most in the NHL since Washington (62) in 1993-94. … Avs coach Jared Bednar hopes captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee surgery) will return for a game or two before the playoffs. … Nichushkin became the seventh Colorado player with 20 goals. … The Avs signed undrafted college free agents Ben Meyers (Minnesota) and Wyatt Aamodt (Minnesota State).
