The Colorado Avalanche are off to a blistering start, and the numbers already look outrageous.
After taking a loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, Colorado bounced back in its next game against the Calgary Flames and rolled to a 7-3 win. That kind of response has helped fuel a start that has the Avalanche tracking toward something no NHL team has done before.
Through four games, they are averaging 5.75 goals per game. Keep that pace over the now 84-game season, and Colorado would finish with 483 goals.
That would blow past the current league mark of 446, set by the Edmonton Oilers in 1983-84. Wayne Gretzky was the headliner of that group, piling up 87 of those goals.
The Avalanche have their own version of that kind of centerpiece in Nathan MacKinnon, who has led the team in goals in six of the past 13 seasons, including each of the last three. Gretzky’s 87-goal season came with the reality that he effectively missed six games, so it was really 87 goals in 74 games rather than 80.
With the schedule now stretching to 84 games, any chase at that level is going to come with the usual asterisk talk. If MacKinnon were to stay healthy all year and push anywhere near that kind of number, plenty of people around the league would point to the extra games when the record books come up.
MacKinnon, though, has never seemed interested in making a big production out of his own numbers. When he comes out after being named the number one star, he tends to brush past the moment like it’s just another night. That has become part of the culture around him and, in a lot of ways, around the organization.
Cale Makar is making his own early case to stay in the spotlight, too. The Avalanche defenseman has three goals and three assists in four games, which puts him on pace for 63 goals and 63 assists. That goal pace would sail past Paul Coffey’s record of 48 in 79 games from 1985-86, while the assist number would still fall short of Bobby Orr’s 102, set in 1970-71 over 78 games.
There are other pieces in the mix as well. Martin Necas has two goals and two assists, while Gabriel Landeskog has one goal and one assist. Both are in roles that should keep giving them chances to add to those totals as the season goes on.
Jaden Schwartz has also given Colorado a strong early return. He has three goals and three assists through four games. The age question that came with his three-year contract looked like a concern at first, but production changes that conversation fast.
Depth is clearly part of what Colorado has right now, and that should become even more obvious as the season unfolds. The Avalanche want that depth showing up again when the playoffs arrive.
After last season’s Western Conference Final exit, they are carrying that chip on their shoulder. If they come up short of the Stanley Cup again, there will be plenty of questions waiting for them.
In Other News...
Avalanche Send An Early Message With One Defense Decision
Sam Malinskis start to the season has quickly become one of the more interesting roster storylines for the Avalanche, especially for a player who was such a steady presence a year ago. After playing every game last season and earning a four-year extension, he found himself on the outside looking in as Jared Bednar shuffled the blue line and gave Noah Juulsen a shot in a recent matchup with Calgary.
The move fit the message Bednar has been sending early: no one on the defense is locked into anything if the play is not there. Juulsens insertion came in a 7-3 win over the Flames, and while the Avalanche clearly like Malinskis long-term profile, his early struggles have opened the door to more competition than he has faced since establishing himself. For a team trying to settle its defensive mix, that is a reminder that recent performance can matter more than what happened last spring. [Read more 🡒]
Former Avalanche Forward Suddenly Has A Shot To Return At Ball Arena
Miles Woods path has taken another turn, and it could bring him right back to Ball Arena. Toronto recalled the forward from the AHLs Toronto Marlies, opening the door for him to potentially make his Maple Leafs debut against the Avalanche, the team he once suited up for before getting dealt away in the offseason move that brought him to the Leafs organization.
For Colorado fans, Woods name still carries a memorable playoff imprint after his overtime winner in Game 1 of the 2024 second-round series against Dallas. Now theres at least a chance he surfaces in Denver again, this time in a different sweater and in a different role than the one Avalanche supporters remember, with his Toronto debut still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Reunion Night Comes With One Intriguing Lineup Twist
The Avalanche will get a familiar visit to Ball Arena when the Maple Leafs roll into town carrying a couple of old Colorado faces on the roster. Nick Blankenburg and Miles Wood both have recent ties to the franchise, and their presence adds a little extra texture to a night that already has a reunion feel for fans who still remember them in burgundy and blue.
Blankenburg is the more interesting name to watch because Toronto may need him to step in after an injury to Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Wood is also back with the big club after a recent AHL recall, though he is not expected to play, which leaves one small lineup wrinkle still worth monitoring before puck drop. [Read more 🡒]