LOS ANGELES – Jamie McGinn scored 2 minutes, 32 seconds into overtime, and Semyon Varlamov won his third consecutive start with 19 saves, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Varlamov’s 12th career shutout came one day after prosecutors in Denver filed a misdemeanor assault charge against him because of a complaint by his girlfriend that he attacked her Oct. 30.
McGinn’s fourth goal of the season and first game-winner helped the Avalanche (17-5-0) improve the best start in franchise history. They are 15-0 when they score first.
The Kings, coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to New Jersey on Thursday, were shut out for the first time this season and ended an eight-game stretch in which they recorded at least one point.
Ben Scrivens made 32 saves in his sixth consecutive start for the injured Jonathan Quick. He got a bad break when a rebound trickled into the net off the elbow of teammate Jarret Stoll after Scrivens made the initial save on John Mitchell.
Los Angeles received a 4-minute power play with 77 seconds left in the second period after John Mitchell cut Willie Mitchell with a high stick, but the Kings got only two shots during that stretch and finished 0-for-4 with the man advantage.
Colorado was 0-for-3 on the power play.
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The Kings activated LW Kyle Clifford from the injured list after he missed six games with an upper-body injury. C Trevor Lewis was placed on the injured list because of a lower-body injury. ... Colorado’s Marc-Andre Cliche, who came in with the lowest winning percentage on faceoffs (34 percent), won seven of eight. ... The Avalanche are 5-4 since LW Alex Tanguay suffered a knee injury Nov. 2 against Montreal. ... Nathan MacKinnon, the first overall pick in the June draft and the NHL’s youngest player at 18, leads rookies with 65 shots. He has three goals.
