Avalanche start fast, blow out Blues for 9th consecutive win

Field Level Media|published: Thu 1st January, 24:17 2026

Dec 31, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates with the bench after his second goal in the first period against the St. Louis Blues at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Nathan MacKinnon recorded two goals to top 400 for his career and added two assists as the Colorado Avalanche won their ninth in a row, downing the St. Louis Blues 6-1 in Denver on Wednesday.

Valeri Nichushkin notched his second career hat trick, Brock Nelson had a goal and added an assist, the 300th of his career, and Josh Manson produced two assists for Colorado.

MacKinnon, who now has 401 goals, is the third player in franchise history to reach the mark and the first to do it all with Colorado. Joe Sakic, the franchise leader with 625, had 391 with the Avalanche, and Michel Goulet is second with 456, all with the Quebec Nordiques.

Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 12 shots for Avalanche but was denied his third shutout of the season when Dalibor Dvorsky scored late in the third period.

Colorado remains unbeaten in regulation at home (17-0-2), where it has won 15 straight. The Avalanche have just two regulation losses through 39 games.

Jordan Binnington made 37 saves for St. Louis, which has dropped two straight and had a season-low shot total.

The Avalanche blitzed the Blues from the start, scoring four times in the first 4:39. Nichushkin started the onslaught a minute into the game, and MacKinnon atoned for his goaltender-interference infraction that erased a potential Cale Makar goal when he knocked in a rebound at 3:13.

Nichushkin got his second 13 seconds later, and MacKinnon's one-timer 1:13 after that made it 4-0. It was the fastest four goals to start a game in franchise history and third fastest in NHL history.

MacKinnon now has 34 goals, which leads the NHL, and he has 70 points. The Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid, who was the league leader, also collected his 70th point on Wednesday.

The score remained 4-0 until midway through the second period when Nelson scored a rare power-play goal for Colorado. The Avalanche hadn't connected on a man advantage in the previous three games. Dvorsky tallied at 14:32 of the third, and Nichushkin answered at 16:06.

--Field Level Media

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