DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon delivered a standout performance with a goal and three assists, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night at Ball Arena. The win ended the Hurricanes’ eight-game winning streak and showcased a dominant offensive showing by Colorado.
MacKinnon’s four-point night was complemented by Mikko Rantanen, who scored twice and added an assist, while Artturi Lehkonen contributed a goal and an assist. Cale Makar added a critical short-handed goal, marking a turning point for the Avalanche (7-8-0), who have struggled recently but now show signs of resurgence, winning two of their last six games. Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev had a solid outing with 27 saves, keeping his team in the game when they trailed early.
“Full credit to Georgie for that first period; he kept us in it when we were down one,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said. “We made some mistakes early on, but our game started to come around. The intensity and overall engagement, both physically and emotionally, have really gone up. I think we’re beginning to find a formula that works with our current lineup.”
The Hurricanes (10-3-0) were led by Jordan Martinook, who had two goals and an assist, and Martin Necas, who extended his point streak to nine games with a goal and an assist. Seth Jarvis added two assists, and goaltender Spencer Martin made 23 saves in his season debut. The Hurricanes, who traveled to Denver on Saturday due to severe winter weather delaying their plans, initially controlled the pace and created an early lead.
“The short-handed goal was a killer for us because they were flat until that point,” said Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “Once they got going, it shifted the momentum. The goalie interference call hurt as well—it’s a one-goal game at that point, and those two plays swung it in their favor.”
The Hurricanes took the lead just over halfway through the first period when Jack Drury finished a pass from Martinook, shooting high over Georgiev’s blocker from the left hash mark. Martinook extended Carolina’s lead to 2-0 early in the second with a one-timer from the left face-off circle, but Makar’s short-handed goal at 9:13 cut the deficit to one. Makar intercepted a cross-ice pass in the defensive zone, skating up the ice and beating Martin with a slap shot from the right circle, giving the Avalanche a boost of confidence.
“That was a huge play from Cale, coming at the right moment,” said Georgiev. “We were under pressure early, but his goal sparked something in us, and we just kept rolling after that.”
Minutes later, Sam Malinski found the rebound from a MacKinnon shot and lifted a backhand over Martin, tying the game at 2-2. Carolina responded quickly, with Necas regaining the lead for the Hurricanes on a power play, tapping in a pass from Jarvis at the right post. But MacKinnon wasn’t done. He tied it up once more with a breakaway wrist shot at 15:49 of the second period, beating Martin to make it 3-3.
“That was a beautiful shot by Nate. Those guys were feeling it, and as a coach, you try to recognize that momentum and let them go for it when you see they’re in the zone,” Bednar said. “They can make a huge impact in such a short time.”
Lehkonen gave the Avalanche their first lead of the night, redirecting Rantanen’s shot to make it 4-3. Carolina challenged the play for goalie interference, but after video review, the goal stood. Shortly after, Rantanen struck again on a power play, firing a wrist shot from the right circle to extend the Avalanche lead to 5-3.
“Cale’s goal in the second period was massive for us,” Rantanen noted. “After that, it felt like the game shifted, and you could tell they were starting to tire out a bit while we kept pushing.”
In the third, Martinook scored his second goal at 2:50, picking up the rebound from a Necas shot and slipping it around Georgiev’s outstretched pad to pull Carolina back within one at 5-4. Despite the Hurricanes’ effort, the Avalanche continued to control the pace, and Rantanen sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:10, finalizing the score at 6-4.
NOTES: MacKinnon’s four-point game brought him to an NHL-leading 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists), putting him two points ahead of Minnesota Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov (nine goals, 18 assists). This marked MacKinnon’s 26th career four-point game, surpassing franchise legends Peter Forsberg and Michel Goulet for sole possession of the third-most in Avalanche/Nordiques history. Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov extended his point streak to eight games (four goals, six assists), continuing his impressive form.
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