The Colorado Avalanche picked up a convincing 6-3 victory against the New York Rangers on Thursday night. The win improved Colorado’s record to 14-1-5, bringing their point total to 33 through 20 games.
Not only that, their strong run placed them in rare company, as they became one of just four teams to record one regulation loss or fewer in the first 20 games, joining the Montreal Canadiens (1927-28), Philadelphia Flyers (1979-80), and Chicago Blackhawks (2012-13), with Chicago being the only team to remain unbeaten in regulation during that span.
The Avalanche entered Thursday’s matchup on a seven-game winning streak and a four-game homestand sweep. They have collected points in 19 of their first 20 games and are 9-0-2 over their last 11 outings. No other NHL team has matched their pace in points, with the Carolina Hurricanes trailing at 28 points in the Eastern Conference.
Colorado’s superstar duo led the charge once again. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each posted two goals and an assist. MacKinnon’s performance moved him past Peter Stastny for second place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list, with 1,051 points, behind only Joe Sakic (1,641 points). Makar’s wraparound goal in the second period and empty-net tally in the third completed a stellar showing, while MacKinnon’s third-period backhanded rebound broke the tie after the Rangers had leveled the game at 3-3.
Supporting contributions were equally impactful. Brock Nelson added a goal and an assist, while Martin Necas pocketed three assists, extending his season-opening home point streak to 10 games. Rookie goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 16 saves and earned his first NHL point with an assist on Nelson’s third-period power-play goal. Ross Colton finished the scoring with an empty-net goal late in the contest.
The Rangers, meanwhile, were unable to keep pace. JT Miller scored twice on the power play, and Adam Edstrom recorded his first goal of the season, but New York has now dropped three consecutive games and finished the night with a 10-10-2 record. Igor Shesterkin stopped 29 shots in a losing effort, while Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox each contributed two assists.
The Avalanche will next travel to face the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
