DENVER — Artturi Lehkonen grins when the question is asked. His answer, as usual, is to the point.

How do you explain your reputation for scoring big goals in big moments?

“I don’t know,” Lehkonen said, surrounded by reporters Wednesday night in the Avalanche dressing room, his power-play stinger helping Colorado rally past the Canadiens. “Right place at the right time.”

Typical Lehkonen. The soft-spoken 27-year-old Finnish forward, acquired at the trade deadline last season, will let his game do most of the talking. It’s given Lehkonen a fitting nickname ahead of Friday night’s Avalanche game in Nashville.

“He’s probably Mr. Clutch at this point,” defenseman Cale Makar told reporters last month.

Now, the evidence:

• Lehkonen leads the team with five power-play goals this season. The Avs are 5-1-0 since his return from a concussion — minus Nathan Mackinnon (upper-body injury) in the lineup — with Lehkonen accounting for two goals and two assists over that span. He’s become the team’s most reliable player.

• Lehkonen scored four game-winning playoff goals on the Avs’ championship run last season. His timely rebound at the net in Game 4 against Edmonton sent Colorado to the Stanley Cup finals. Then, in Game 6 at Tampa Bay, he corralled a bouncing puck in transition for the series-clinching goal.

• This isn’t new. In 2021, while playing in Montreal, Lehkonen scored in OT to send the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup finals (losing to eventual champion Tampa Bay, 4-3). Lehkonen has a sterling reputation for stepping up in the spotlight.

“If he doesn’t score for a while, when he does, it’s usually a big goal,” coach Jared Bednar said. “He’s competitive all the time.”

Lehkonen will have readers believe it’s all just being in the right place, at the right time. Don’t buy it. His teammates explained why Lehkonen is regularly so clutch. It begins with a blunt assessment from MacKinnon last month.

“A simple player,” MacKinnon said.

“(Lehkonen) doesn’t overcomplicate the game,” Evan Rodrigues said. “He gets in open areas, shoots the puck and he’s really effective at it. He’s a great forechecker. Sometimes, he’s the first guy in on the forecheck and the first guy back on a back-check. He’s kind of a blue-collar player.

“He’s in those clutch moments because he’s always in the right spot to shoot the puck. He’s at the net front getting greasy goals. He does all the little things.”

For a deeper look into Lehkonen’s personality, a sometimes-challenging task for curious reporters, ask forward Mikko Rantanen. They’ve known each other since childhood growing up in the same region of Turku, Finland.

“It’s good to have him here. I was excited when they traded for him,” Rantanen said. “I knew he was a hard worker on the ice and a good person off the ice. He’s not flashy. He’s not a big media guy. But that’s just his style. … Guys like him. He’s goofy.”

Rodrigues added: “He’s almost like a hype man. Everything you say, he laughs at. He’s always in a good mood.”

Lehkonen reportedly went to dinner with former Montreal teammates before Colorado beat the Canadiens, 2-1, in overtime. But it’s clear he’s found a home as “Mr. Clutch” with the Avalanche.

“Going from a not very good team to a really good team last year, it’s a big difference,” Lehkonen told the Montreal Gazette. “I got a chance right away to play with really good players.”

What’s next: The Avalanche (18-11-2) travel to face the Nashville Predators, 6 p.m. Friday (Altitude TV) at Bridgestone Arena.