The Aftermath: Brock Nelson Has 4 Points, Avalanche Rout Habs 7-2

It didn’t take long for the Avalanche to get back in the winning column. And they did it with style.

Colorado defeated the visiting Montreal Canadiens 7-2 on Saturday, scoring some really nice goals while dressed up in vintage Quebec Nordiques jerseys.

Brock Nelson and Gabe Landeskog had two goals, and Brent Burns, Nathan MacKinnon, and Devo Toews each added one for the Avs, who improved to 13-0-3 in their last 16 games.

“When you create like a hundred chances, you’re gonna get five or six, probably. Every night we’re creating a ton,” MacKinnon said post-game. “It’s the quantity, and then in the laws of averages, it just kind of goes in. I thought we left a lot [of offense] on the table tonight too. We played really well. Everyone was buzzing.”

Nelson had his best game with the Avs by far, adding two assists to finish with four points.

Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Martin Necas had three points each. Artturi Lehkonen added two assists.

Both Landeskog and Nelson have been on fire as of late — something the Avs have patiently waited for.

“They’re coming together. I’ve liked a lot of their games here recently, and today, they kind of set the tone for us,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “They were our best line.”

The Avs took an early lead thanks to a wrist shot from Nelson. He recorded his 600th career point on that play, but it was just the start of his explosive performance. The Avs added another before the break later in the period off a goal from Landeskog.

The tally was initially awarded to Nelson. Colorado’s No. 2 center put the puck on goal just as Landeskog and Montreal’s Josh Anderson made contact with each other. The Habs forward fell over, bumped his goalie, and knocked the net off its moorings just as the shot was taken.

The goal was later changed to Landeskog, as Nelson’s shot hit the captain on his way in. Landeskog’s tally was his fourth of the season and his second in less than 24 hours.

Montreal challenged the play for goalie interference but was unsuccessful. The ensuing Avalanche power play generates chances but could not capitalize. Colorado finished 1-for-4 on the PP.

In the second, the offense continued and it started early. The Avs got a golden opportunity from the first puck drop, but Jakub Dobes stopped it and covered the puck. On the following offensive zone faceoff, Nelson won it cleanly back to Burns, and he beat Dobes from the point for his third of the season.

The Avs kept pressing, and Nelson eventually got his second off a beautiful no-look feed from in tight from Necas. This play completed Nelson’s fourth career four-point game, and his first since 2021, also against the Montreal Canadiens.

With 55 seconds remaining in the period, MacKinnon put home a rebound after Landeskog made a nice play to get onside just as Cale Makar sent a floating pass his way with just enough speed to give the captain the time to get behind the blueline.

MacKinnon’s tally was his 20th of the season, becoming the first player to reach that mark.

Toews and Landeskog added third-period tallies, and Lane Hutson got one for the Habs. Both Landeskog and Hutson scored on the power play.

Dobes made 29 saves, and Colorado’s Mackenzie Blackwood responded with 21. His shutout streak ended in the second period at 174 minutes, 31 seconds.

“You always need a handful of big saves on any given night, and he provided those for us tonight,” Bednar said.

Positive: Another Offensive Explosion

The Avs had trouble beating Jesper Wallstedt on Friday, albeit Minnesota’s young netminder has been on a heater as of late. The Avs not only rebounded on Saturday but did so on a back-to-back, with travel, after their 10-game winning streak ended.

It doesn’t sound like a huge deal, but it’s another example of how this team is more focused than we’ve seen in years. Think back to how often it is for a team to have a long streak end, only to go two or three games without getting back on their stride.

This Avs team is different. You can’t win the Stanley Cup in October or November, but you can build the proper habits early in the season and ride that throughout.

Negative: Habs Didn’t pull Dobes

I know Sam Montembeault played in Vegas on Friday, but you’ve got to get your goalie out of this game when he’s getting beaten up like that. The Avs outplayed the Habs, and that’s not an argument.

But Dobes was getting lit up. When the second period ended, it should have been the end of his game.