SALT LAKE CTIY (AP) — Artturi Lehkonen scored three goals, Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 34 shots and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Utah Hockey Club 4-1 on Friday night.
Mikko Rantanen also scored and Nathan MacKinnon had three assists for Colorado, which has won four straight.
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Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) and Utah Hockey Club center Kevin Stenlund (82) go after the puck, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) watches as Utah Hockey Club left wing Lawson Crouse (67) goes after the puck, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Utah Hockey Club center Nick Schmaltz (8) collides with Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly (17) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (7) grabs the puck as Utah Hockey Club center Clayton Keller (9) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton (27) and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) get into a scuffle during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton (27) and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) get into a scuffle during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Utah Hockey Club defenseman Olli Maatta (2) defends as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) looks for a shot during the Second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor (25) gets tangled up with Utah Hockey Club center Nick Bjugstad (17) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Utah Hockey Club center Nick Schmaltz (8) and Colorado Avalanche center Ivan Ivan (82) battle for position during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) gets the puck past Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) to score a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen reacts after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Utah Hockey Club, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Blackwood has four wins in five starts since being acquired from San Jose on December 9th. He signed a five-year, $26.5 million contract extension with the Avalanche earlier Friday.
Nick Schmaltz scored for Utah, which has lost eight of its last nine at home. Karel Vejmelka finished with 33 saves.
Following a scoreless first period, Colorado struck first when a wide-open Lehkonen tapped in the puck off a feed from MacKinnon with 8:08 left in the second.
Utah finally got on the board when Schmaltz tapped in a power play equalizer with at 3:42 ofthe third off Mikhail Sergachev’s blast down the middle.
Lehkonen answered with 5:16 left when he tapped in the puck around Vejmelka’s outstretched skate. Mikko Rantanen and Lehkonen capped the scoring with a pair of empty-netters in the final two minutes.
Avalanche: Aggressive attacking from Colorado kept Utah’s defense on its heels for the bulk of the game.
Utah: An inability to generate early scoring chances offset Utah’s strong defensive play early in the game. In the second period alone, Utah totaled only seven shots on goal.
Schmaltz gave Utah a chance to take its first lead after scoring on a power play but Lehkonen helped Colorado pull away with his second tap-in goal from close range.
Colorado improved to 16-0 this season when leading at the start of the third period.
Avalanche host Winnipeg on Tuesday while Utah visits Seattle on Monday.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) and Utah Hockey Club center Kevin Stenlund (82) go after the puck, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) watches as Utah Hockey Club left wing Lawson Crouse (67) goes after the puck, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Utah Hockey Club center Nick Schmaltz (8) collides with Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly (17) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (7) grabs the puck as Utah Hockey Club center Clayton Keller (9) defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton (27) and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) get into a scuffle during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton (27) and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) get into a scuffle during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Utah Hockey Club defenseman Olli Maatta (2) defends as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) looks for a shot during the Second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor (25) gets tangled up with Utah Hockey Club center Nick Bjugstad (17) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Utah Hockey Club center Nick Schmaltz (8) and Colorado Avalanche center Ivan Ivan (82) battle for position during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) gets the puck past Utah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) to score a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen reacts after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Utah Hockey Club, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
LONDON (AP) — Travelers flying to or from the U.K. faced further disruptions Saturday as thick fog and low visibility restricted air traffic on one of the year's busiest weekends.
Gatwick Airport in London warned that some flights may be delayed throughout Saturday and apologized for the inconvenience. Flights were delayed by up to three hours late Friday because of poor weather conditions, and at least 40 flights from the airport, mostly short-haul to Europe, were delayed Saturday morning.
Heathrow Airport, one of Europe's busiest, advised passengers to check with their airlines regarding potential delays. Disruptions were also reported at other U.K. airports including Stansted Airport in London and Manchester Airport.
The U.K.'s weather forecasters, the Met Office, said thick fog patches could reduce visibility to just 100 meters (328 feet) in some areas across the country. It said travelers should allow “a little bit longer” for journeys and warned drivers to be extra careful.
Kiera Quayle and her husband, who were visiting family for Christmas on the Isle of Man, were among many affected. Their return flight to London was delayed by hours and then canceled late Friday.
“It’s frustrating and stressful but I overheard a few families who are now missing holidays and work who have it worse at this point," she said.
Conditions are expected to improve Sunday, the Met Office said.
The country's main air traffic control organization said the restrictions would remain in place in areas with low visibility.
“Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to maintain safety," it said. “Our teams are working closely with the airports and airlines to minimize disruption.”
The restrictions came at a busy time of year when many people travel following the Christmas holiday and ahead of the New Year.
A British Airways Airbus A380-800 takes off from runway 27R at Heathrow Airport, London, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (James Manning/PA via AP)
A plane lands in the mist at Cardiff Airport, in Cardiff, Wales, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)