Rookie defenseman Cale Makar scored twice, Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 in Denver on Saturday night.

Pavel Francouz had 39 saves, Samuel Girard also scored and Tyson Jost finished with two assists for the depleted Avalanche, who won their second straight following a five-game losing streak.

Zach Werenski and Emil Bemstrom had a goal apiece, and Joonas Korpisalo stopped 32 shots for the Blue Jackets

Colorado added another to the infirmary when forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare left the game late in the second after he was elbowed in the head by Nick Foligno. Foligno was not penalized initially, but he given a major penalty and a game misconduct upon review.

The Avalanche were already without defenseman Nikita Zadorov, who underwent surgery on Friday for a broken jaw sustained in the win over Nashville on Thursday. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer (lower-body injury) missed his second straight game, but he is expected to be with the team for the five-game road trip that starts Tuesday in Winnipeg.

Colorado trailed 2-1 after one, but Makar gave the Avs the lead before the second intermission. He got his first when he roofed a shot from the right circle at 10:52 to tie it. His second came on a two-on-one rush, when Jost feathered a pass and Makar slid it low through Korpisalo's legs at 16:11.

Makar now has four goals and 13 assists on the season.

Kadri iced it when he stole the puck from Pierre-Luc Dubois and beat Korpisalo at 17:54 of the third. It was his sixth of the year.

Bemstrom gave Columbus a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 4:55 of the first when he knocked in a rebound from Seth Jones' shot in the slot. It was Bemstrom's second of the season.

Girard tied it later in the period with his first of the season, a power-play slapper that beat Korpisalo high off the right post and in at 15:06.

Columbus got the lead back in the last minute of the first when Werenski's shot from the left side trickled through Francouz and just over the line at 19:06. It was his fourth of the season.

--Field Level Media