The NHL season has been all about parity for the large majority of the teams in the league this season. Perhaps it's the compact schedule due to the break that all teams will be taking during the Olympic hockey competition in Italy in February. As a result, there has been very little difference in the standings as team jump from being outside the playoff structure to a solid position on an every other game basis. There is one exception to the up-and-down status of the 2025-26 season. The Colorado Avalanche have established themselves as the league's best team by a wide margin.
The Avs recorded a 7-2 runaway triumph over the Montreal Canadiens Saturday, and that improved their record to 18-1-6. They have just a single loss in regulation time through their first 25 games, as Nathan MacKinnon and his teammates have come through with a competitive effort on an every night basis. The Dallas Stars have 5 regulation losses, and they are second to the Avalanche in that category and they also have the second-best record in the league at 16-5-4.
The Avs have a goal differential of plus-50 through their first 25 games. They are winning by an average of 2 goals every time they step on the ice. They are the first team to achieve that kind of margin since the 2005-06 Ottawa Senators.
Avalanche use their speed on an every-night basis
There is no single reason why head coach Jared Bednar's Avalanche have played so well this year. But one area that is quite notable about the Avs is the speed they play with on a regular basis. MacKinnon may be the fastest player in the league and his acceleration makes him a threat to score every time he takes a stride with the puck on his stick.
The same holds for defenseman Cale Makar. While he is not as fast as MacKinnon, his ability to change directions without slowing down makes it impossible for most opponents to stay with him.
