The Colorado Avalanche have come flying out of the gate in a way the NHL hasn’t seen in more than three decades. Through four games, they’ve piled up 23 goals, matching the scoring pace set by the 1993-94 Los Angeles Kings, the Wayne Gretzky-led group that last reached that mark.
Colorado added to that total Thursday night with a seven-goal burst against the winless Calgary Flames, continuing an opening stretch that has been as relentless as it has been productive. The Avalanche started with an 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings, followed that with six goals against the St. Louis Blues, then scored two against the Winnipeg Jets before breaking out again in Calgary.
The result is a start built on more than just one hot line or one runaway scorer. Fifteen different players have already posted at least two points in the first four games, which has made Colorado tough to key in on and difficult to slow down. At the same time, the Avalanche have given up only 11 goals, leaving them with a league-best plus-12 goal differential.
Nathan MacKinnon has been right at the center of it all. The former NHL MVP leads Colorado with eight points, collecting three goals and five assists through four games. He enters this season after a monster year in which he topped the NHL with 53 goals and finished third in scoring with 127 points.
Colorado’s blistering start also comes after a season that ended with a Presidents’ Trophy but no championship run, as the Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final. For now, though, they’ve looked every bit like a team determined to start this year on a different note.
The next test comes Saturday night at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs. If the first four games are any indication, the Avalanche are already threatening to turn the regular season into another showcase.
In Other News...
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Bigger Concern Than Logan OConnors Return
Logan OConnor was already closing in on a return to the lineup after recently signing a six-year extension with Colorado, but the Avalanche now have a far more important matter in front of them. The club announced that OConnor is stepping away following the sudden death of his father, Myles OConnor, a former NHL defenseman, and the focus has shifted from hockey timelines to something much heavier for one of the teams most reliable forwards.
The Avalanche expressed their condolences in the announcement and immediately moved to support OConnor through the loss. Myles OConnors death at 59 leaves a personal void that dwarfs any on-ice update, and Colorado plans to recognize him during Thursdays game against the Flames, a small gesture in a week defined by grief rather than roster news. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Lineup Intrigue Builds As Calgary Still Searches For First Win
The Avalanche head into the second half of their first back-to-back of the season with a little lineup intrigue and a familiar divisional opponent waiting in Calgary. Colorado is in position to get Logan OConnor back into the mix, a welcome possibility for a club still settling into its early-season rhythm, while Scott Wedgewood looks set to handle the net as the schedule starts to ask more of the roster.
For the Flames, the timing is tough. Calgary comes in at 0-3-0 and still searching for traction at both ends of the ice, which only raises the stakes for a Colorado group trying to bank points early and manage its workload carefully. If Wedgewood gets the start, it would also mark a notable personal milestone, adding a little extra weight to a game that already carries more than the usual October subplot. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Stars Delivered The Response Colorado Needed After That Frustrating Loss
After a frustrating loss, Colorado needed a clean answer, and it got one in Calgary. The Avalanche shook off a slow start and turned the night into a 7-3 win, with Nathan MacKinnon setting the tone offensively and the group in front of him finding its rhythm as the game wore on.
Devon Toews, Cale Makar and Jaden Schwartz all chipped in, giving Colorado the kind of balanced attack that can make it dangerous when its stars are rolling. Scott Wedgewood backed it up with a steady night in net, helping the Avalanche settle in after a rough opening period and leave with the response they were looking for. [Read more 🡒]