An early deficit and an unplanned goaltending change wasn’t nearly enough to slow down the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avs continued to mash their way through the early part of this schedule with a 3-1 victory Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks at Ball Arena. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to continue his historic start to this season, Gabe Landeskog had a pair of assists and the Avs are now 19-1-6, five points ahead of their rivals, the Dallas Stars, and 10 clear of the rest of the NHL.
Colorado now has at least a point in 17 straight games (14-0-3), and pushed its NHL-best goal differential to plus-53, more than double the next-best in the league, the Stars at plus-21.
This game was not without some adversity. Starting goaltender Scott Wedgewood left during the second period with what the team called an upper-body injury and did not return. Mackenzie Blackwood made 11 saves and collected the win because the game was tied when he entered.
Vancouver grabbed an early when Linus Karlsson got behind the Avs and was able to deke his way to slick goal just 2:55 into the opening period. The Canucks didn’t create very many dangerous chances after that through the next two periods.
MacKinnon scored his first of the night with 37 seconds left in the opening period. Devon Toews snuck down in the slot and tipped Sam Malinski’s shot from the right point. That was just enough to prevent Kevin Lankinen from handling it cleanly, and MacKinnon was there in the left circle to pounce on the rebound.
Valeri Nichushkin returned to the lineup after missing eight games, but not to his customary place on the second line. That trio had a strong night, and produced Colorado’s go-ahead goal at 13:52 of the second period. Landeskog fed Brock Nelson, who had slipped behind Vancouver center Max Sasson, cutting to the net for his ninth goal of the season.
Nelson now has six goals and 12 points in his past 10 games. Landeskog also has 10 points (five goals) in the past 10 games, after he began this comeback campaign with no goals and four assists in the first 16 contests.
MacKinnon struck again in the final minute of the second. He replaced Nelson during a prolonged line change, and Landeskog fed him in the right circle for a one-timer with 34 seconds remaining in the period.
That is 22 goals this season in 26 games for MacKinnon, the second-most in franchise history and easily the most since the team moved to Denver. His 46 points are also the second-most in franchise history and the most since the club came to the base of the Front Range.
Colorado has now outscored its opponents 37-9 at 5-on-5 when MacKinnon is on the ice, an outrageous margin that helps define just how dominant the 2024 league MVP, and this Avalanche team, has been.
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