from Rick Sadowski at NHL.com,

Nathan MacKinnon scored a hat trick and had an assist, and the Colorado Avalanche extended their lead in the Stanley Cup First Round with a 6-3 win against the St. Louis Blues in Game 2 at Ball Arena on Wednesday.

MacKinnon has scored seven points (five goals, two assists) in the first two games of the best-of-7 series.

"I don't know if I'm at another level or pucks are (just) going in right now, I guess," MacKinnon said. "I mean, all my goals are with great screens in front. [Gabriel Landeskog], Mikko [Rantanen] are beasts down low.

"Without those guys battling and mucking it up in front when I'm up high, those pucks don't go in. Everyone's helping out, for sure."

Joonas Donskoi had two goals and an assist, and Philipp Grubauer made 32 saves for Colorado, the No. 1 seed in the Honda West Division.

"You have to have guys elevating their game this time of year," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "You have to have different guys chipping in and making plays, not just on the offensive side of it, but on the defensive side of it as well. Guys are feeling good with their game."

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