LAS VEGAS — If you're looking for clean structure or airtight systems tape from Avalanche–Golden Knights on December 27, this is not your game. If you're looking for proof that this team simply does not accept "scheduled losses" — travel-day back from Christmas, holiday legs, hostile building, down multiple goals — then you probably circled this one in permanent marker. Colorado 6, Vegas 5 (SO). It was chaotic, sloppy, nervy, and maybe the clearest reminder yet of what this version of the Avalanche actually is: a wagon that can be late to the party and still own the night. This wasn't a textbook W. This was a statement game wrapped in chaos, delivered with the kind of swagger that only comes from a team that knows it can turn the lights on whenever it damn well pleases. The kind of game that has playoff DNA splattered all over it, even in late December.

The league gave everyone three days off. The schedule gave the Avs a morning flight into Vegas and a national TV building that doesn't believe in subtlety or quiet. The first period looked exactly like you'd expect from that mix. Colorado's legs were somewhere over Utah. Vegas' were churning in the low slot. The Golden Knights were missing Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, and William Karlsson, but Bruce Cassidy's team did the one thing they can always control: they stacked bodies in front of Carter Hart and made the middle of the ice look like DIA security on Thanksgiving. First Period Reality Check Vegas dominated possession early Colorado's timing was off by a beat Holtz opened scoring at 8:47 Shot attempts: VGK 14, COL 8 The Avs — who usually live off east–west seams and timing plays — kept firing pucks into golden helmets and shin pads. Alexander Holtz opened the scoring off a designed point shot / backdoor tip, and that 1–0 felt heavier than it should have because Colorado's game just wasn't… there yet. Then Vegas made it 2–0 early in the second on an odd-man rush that turned into a clean Mitch Marner-to-Ivan Barbashev tap-in. Everything about the night screamed "flush it and move on." The Avalanche didn't. And that's where things got interesting.

Points Career-high performance from the rookie defenseman Ice Time Trusted in all situations throughout the comeback Plus/Minus Steady two-way game when it mattered most If you watched only the highlight pack, you'd think this game was just MacKinnon and Nečas trading haymakers with Marner and Sissons. But between the rushes, this was a Sam Malinski night. He finished with three points, but that undersells how steady and aggressive he was in a game where most guys took a period and a half to find their timing. Malinski walked blue lines without panic, hit the middle of the ice off the wall, and — most importantly — kept feeding the forwards in motion instead of off static, stand-still looks. On a night when Colorado's structure was creaky, he played like a 400-game vet, not a guy still stapling his NHL résumé together. His wrist shot that started the Sam Girard "Plinko" goal was exactly the right idea: not a hero blast, just get it to a dangerous touch point quickly. His bomb in the third that leaked through Hart and got nudged over the line by Nathan MacKinnon was pure decisiveness. You don't usually circle your rookie D as a driver in a 6–5 track meet in Vegas. Tonight, you kind of have to.

Gabe Landeskog has highlight nights and he has captain nights. This was squarely the latter. The moments that changed the game didn't look sexy in real time, but they're the difference between two points and a moral victory speech. When Colorado finally started to tilt the ice in the second half of the game, 92 was almost always involved at the start of the sequence: a won draw, a clean chip-out under pressure, a net-front box-out that let a point shot actually get through. Zone Entry Mastery Staying just onside forever on a Malinski entry that turned into a goal chance, instead of mentally drifting and bailing early. The kind of patience that only comes from 800+ NHL games. Physical Presence Eating contact on the walls in the second when the Avs were still waiting for their lungs to show up. Taking hits so skilled guys don't have to — classic captain tax. Pace Control Dragging pace up by winning small battles at the blue lines — the entries, the clears, the taps that don't show up on NHL.com but completely flip possession and momentum. By the time he teed up that late 6-on-5 look for Artturi Lehkonen, you could feel the building's energy shifting. Landeskog doesn't do big gestures; he just slowly moves the center of gravity of the game until it belongs to Colorado again. It's Jedi stuff, hidden in plain sight.

For weeks, the internal conversation around Marty Nečas has basically been: What happens if he just shoots more? This game might end up as Exhibit A. He finished with two goals and the filthiest shootout winner you're going to see from a player who literally fell while scoring. Everything about his night screamed "volume shooter with elite tools," not just high-skill passer who sometimes rips it. The more Nečas threatens downhill as a shooter, the more defending Colorado becomes a "pick your poison" problem. If teams sit back on seams, he can hammer pucks. If they respect his release, he carves them up with the pass. Goals Both came from shooting first mentality SO Winner Falling-down beauty for the books The Goals That Mattered Goal #1: Chaos Theory Intended wide, deflected off a Vegas stick, and in. But it only exists because he chooses shot over "one more pass." Sometimes good process creates lucky bounces. Goal #2: Pure Snipe Walking into space, ripping it over Hart's ear with pace and accuracy that made the entire third period feel different. This is what happens when confidence meets skill. Tonight, he leaned into "hammer pucks," and the Avs' entire offensive shape looked scarier because of it. Defenses can't cheat when everyone's a threat.

Three Points. Zero Quit. There isn't a ton left to say about Nathan MacKinnon that hasn't been said. Nights like this just stack evidence on an already overwhelming case for best player in the world. Points Another day at the office TOI Played like the stakes were May, not December He took a big, clean hit from Brayden McNabb early, got the wind knocked out of him, regrouped, and then spent the rest of the game detonating Vegas structure like it owed him money. Three points. A third-period primary assist off a pure gravity play where three Golden Knights collapse to him and he just feeds Lehkonen into a shooting lane. Multiple OT rushes that felt like boss battles in a video game — you know the ending, but you still can't stop it. Then the shootout dagger: hard rush, brakes, micro-hesitation, flick under the glove. Hart never had a prayer. The Avs have a lot of ways to win right now. MacKinnon remains the "we're not losing tonight" override button. The nuclear option that's always available, always reliable, always terrifying for the other team. He's the cheat code that never gets patched.

Artturi Lehkonen has been doing Artturi Lehkonen things all year — winning retrievals, making little bump plays, being the quiet adult in board battles. The kind of player coaches draw hearts around on depth charts. This game, the scoring just finally got as loud as the details. Early Pressure At the net on the Girard Plinko goal, part of the wave that kept Vegas pinned late in the second The Dagger: 1:47 Left 6-on-5 seam, MacKinnon feed, absolute laser under pressure in a deafening building Historic Moment Completed "goal against every NHL team" checklist — the most Lehkonen achievement possible He was at the net on the Girard Plinko goal, part of the wave that kept Vegas pinned late in the second. Then, with the goalie pulled and the season's first real "do they have another level?" moment on the table, he stepped into a 6-on-5 seam and flat-out ripped. That tying goal with 1:47 left wasn't a greasy rebound. It was a shooter's goal off a perfect MacKinnon feed, under pressure, in a deafening building. The kind of goal that changes series in May. Lehkonen completing the "goal against every NHL team" checklist feels almost too on-brand. He's the guy who just quietly fills in every blank on your depth chart bingo card. Need a PK specialist? Check. Need a top-six finisher? Check. Need someone to do the dishes after the party? Probably also check.

The Reality Scott Wedgewood's stat line won't end up on a wall. Five against in regulation isn't how goalies land endorsement deals or Vezina votes. The Context But context matters more than box scores. Vegas got multiple clean deflections, a puck off a defender's stick, and a perfect tip from Brett Howden. You don't chalk those up as "bad goals." The Saves When Colorado finally stabilized, Wedgewood gave them the saves you need in a comeback game: not perfect, but timely. The difference between hanging around and getting buried. Penalty Kill Dominance The Avs' PK went 3-for-3, including a massive third-period kill where Wedgewood had to track east–west passes through traffic and survive a backdoor tap attempt that rang iron instead of twine. Those are the moments that don't show up in Twitter highlights but absolutely define games. He then settled in for the shootout and made enough stops to hand the game back to the stars. It wasn't pretty, but it was survivable. On a night like this, that's a skill. Sometimes the best save is just giving your team a chance.

In a 6–5 circus, it's easy to miss the guy holding the tent poles. But if you want to understand why the Avs feel so much more stable down the middle this year, pull Brock Nelson's clips from this game and enjoy the calm in the chaos. Faceoff Mastery Won critical draws in all three zones, giving Colorado possession when it mattered most. The unsung stat that changes games. Neutral Zone IQ Kept winning bump-backs in the neutral zone, finding soft spots between Vegas layers where chaos turns into control. Clean Entries Fed 29 and 88 clean pucks at times where one more failed entry might have broken Colorado's push entirely. Brock Nelson's game was quiet, deliberate, and absolutely necessary. He's not going to get the national segment after this one. He won't be in the highlight packages or the social media clips. But if you rewind the tape on every big Colorado sequence in the third period, you'll find Nelson somewhere in the first three touches — stabilizing, distributing, doing the boring stuff that makes highlight-reel plays possible. This is what depth looks like when it's actually working. Not just "guys who can fill in," but legitimate difference-makers who make star players better. Nelson is the kind of acquisition that doesn't get headlines in July but wins you games in April. The Avs know it. Vegas learned it the hard way.

Here's the part that probably matters most, the thread that ties this whole chaotic night together: The Avs came into this game with the best third-period goal differential in the league. It's a fun stat until you actually have to prove it in a hostile building, on heavy legs, while trailing multiple times. It's the difference between a regular-season curiosity and a legitimate identity. Down 4–2 After Two They didn't hide from the pace after a second period that swung wildly; they cranked it. Pushed the tempo when most teams would turtle and hope for a lucky bounce. Sissons Backhand Response After giving up the late Colton Sissons backhand on a broken play that'll haunt the video room, they didn't sag or point fingers; they pulled Wedgewood and ran a 6-on-5 clinic. Shootout Breakthrough Then closed the deal in a shootout they'd been 0–4 in. Sometimes you have to lose a few before you learn how to win them. Third Period Numbers Goals: COL 3, VGK 1 Shot attempts: 28-19 Colorado High-danger chances: 7-3 Avs Faceoffs won: 11 of 16 This was the first true "how do you respond when a good team keeps punching back?" road test of the season. Colorado answered with their most chaotic, most resilient third period so far. The result is just two points in December. The tape looks a lot like May. And that should terrify the rest of the Western Conference.

LAS VEGAS — If you're looking for clean structure or airtight systems tape from Avalanche–Golden Knights on December 27, this is not your game. If you're looking for proof that this team simply does not accept "scheduled losses" — travel-day back from Christmas, holiday legs, hostile building, down multiple goals — then you probably circled this one in permanent marker. Colorado 6, Vegas 5 (SO). It was chaotic, sloppy, nervy, and maybe the clearest reminder yet of what this version of the Avalanche actually is: a wagon that can be late to the party and still own the night. This wasn't a textbook W. This was a statement game wrapped in chaos, delivered with the kind of swagger that only comes from a team that knows it can turn the lights on whenever it damn well pleases. The kind of game that has playoff DNA splattered all over it, even in late December.

The league gave everyone three days off. The schedule gave the Avs a morning flight into Vegas and a national TV building that doesn't believe in subtlety or quiet. The first period looked exactly like you'd expect from that mix. Colorado's legs were somewhere over Utah. Vegas' were churning in the low slot. The Golden Knights were missing Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, and William Karlsson, but Bruce Cassidy's team did the one thing they can always control: they stacked bodies in front of Carter Hart and made the middle of the ice look like DIA security on Thanksgiving. First Period Reality Check Vegas dominated possession early Colorado's timing was off by a beat Holtz opened scoring at 8:47 Shot attempts: VGK 14, COL 8 The Avs — who usually live off east–west seams and timing plays — kept firing pucks into golden helmets and shin pads. Alexander Holtz opened the scoring off a designed point shot / backdoor tip, and that 1–0 felt heavier than it should have because Colorado's game just wasn't… there yet. Then Vegas made it 2–0 early in the second on an odd-man rush that turned into a clean Mitch Marner-to-Ivan Barbashev tap-in. Everything about the night screamed "flush it and move on." The Avalanche didn't. And that's where things got interesting.

Points Career-high performance from the rookie defenseman Ice Time Trusted in all situations throughout the comeback Plus/Minus Steady two-way game when it mattered most If you watched only the highlight pack, you'd think this game was just MacKinnon and Nečas trading haymakers with Marner and Sissons. But between the rushes, this was a Sam Malinski night. He finished with three points, but that undersells how steady and aggressive he was in a game where most guys took a period and a half to find their timing. Malinski walked blue lines without panic, hit the middle of the ice off the wall, and — most importantly — kept feeding the forwards in motion instead of off static, stand-still looks. On a night when Colorado's structure was creaky, he played like a 400-game vet, not a guy still stapling his NHL résumé together. His wrist shot that started the Sam Girard "Plinko" goal was exactly the right idea: not a hero blast, just get it to a dangerous touch point quickly. His bomb in the third that leaked through Hart and got nudged over the line by Nathan MacKinnon was pure decisiveness. You don't usually circle your rookie D as a driver in a 6–5 track meet in Vegas. Tonight, you kind of have to.

Gabe Landeskog has highlight nights and he has captain nights. This was squarely the latter. The moments that changed the game didn't look sexy in real time, but they're the difference between two points and a moral victory speech. When Colorado finally started to tilt the ice in the second half of the game, 92 was almost always involved at the start of the sequence: a won draw, a clean chip-out under pressure, a net-front box-out that let a point shot actually get through. Zone Entry Mastery Staying just onside forever on a Malinski entry that turned into a goal chance, instead of mentally drifting and bailing early. The kind of patience that only comes from 800+ NHL games. Physical Presence Eating contact on the walls in the second when the Avs were still waiting for their lungs to show up. Taking hits so skilled guys don't have to — classic captain tax. Pace Control Dragging pace up by winning small battles at the blue lines — the entries, the clears, the taps that don't show up on NHL.com but completely flip possession and momentum. By the time he teed up that late 6-on-5 look for Artturi Lehkonen, you could feel the building's energy shifting. Landeskog doesn't do big gestures; he just slowly moves the center of gravity of the game until it belongs to Colorado again. It's Jedi stuff, hidden in plain sight.

For weeks, the internal conversation around Marty Nečas has basically been: What happens if he just shoots more? This game might end up as Exhibit A. He finished with two goals and the filthiest shootout winner you're going to see from a player who literally fell while scoring. Everything about his night screamed "volume shooter with elite tools," not just high-skill passer who sometimes rips it. The more Nečas threatens downhill as a shooter, the more defending Colorado becomes a "pick your poison" problem. If teams sit back on seams, he can hammer pucks. If they respect his release, he carves them up with the pass. Goals Both came from shooting first mentality SO Winner Falling-down beauty for the books The Goals That Mattered Goal #1: Chaos Theory Intended wide, deflected off a Vegas stick, and in. But it only exists because he chooses shot over "one more pass." Sometimes good process creates lucky bounces. Goal #2: Pure Snipe Walking into space, ripping it over Hart's ear with pace and accuracy that made the entire third period feel different. This is what happens when confidence meets skill. Tonight, he leaned into "hammer pucks," and the Avs' entire offensive shape looked scarier because of it. Defenses can't cheat when everyone's a threat.

Three Points. Zero Quit. There isn't a ton left to say about Nathan MacKinnon that hasn't been said. Nights like this just stack evidence on an already overwhelming case for best player in the world. Points Another day at the office TOI Played like the stakes were May, not December He took a big, clean hit from Brayden McNabb early, got the wind knocked out of him, regrouped, and then spent the rest of the game detonating Vegas structure like it owed him money. Three points. A third-period primary assist off a pure gravity play where three Golden Knights collapse to him and he just feeds Lehkonen into a shooting lane. Multiple OT rushes that felt like boss battles in a video game — you know the ending, but you still can't stop it. Then the shootout dagger: hard rush, brakes, micro-hesitation, flick under the glove. Hart never had a prayer. The Avs have a lot of ways to win right now. MacKinnon remains the "we're not losing tonight" override button. The nuclear option that's always available, always reliable, always terrifying for the other team. He's the cheat code that never gets patched.

Artturi Lehkonen has been doing Artturi Lehkonen things all year — winning retrievals, making little bump plays, being the quiet adult in board battles. The kind of player coaches draw hearts around on depth charts. This game, the scoring just finally got as loud as the details. Early Pressure At the net on the Girard Plinko goal, part of the wave that kept Vegas pinned late in the second The Dagger: 1:47 Left 6-on-5 seam, MacKinnon feed, absolute laser under pressure in a deafening building Historic Moment Completed "goal against every NHL team" checklist — the most Lehkonen achievement possible He was at the net on the Girard Plinko goal, part of the wave that kept Vegas pinned late in the second. Then, with the goalie pulled and the season's first real "do they have another level?" moment on the table, he stepped into a 6-on-5 seam and flat-out ripped. That tying goal with 1:47 left wasn't a greasy rebound. It was a shooter's goal off a perfect MacKinnon feed, under pressure, in a deafening building. The kind of goal that changes series in May. Lehkonen completing the "goal against every NHL team" checklist feels almost too on-brand. He's the guy who just quietly fills in every blank on your depth chart bingo card. Need a PK specialist? Check. Need a top-six finisher? Check. Need someone to do the dishes after the party? Probably also check.

The Reality Scott Wedgewood's stat line won't end up on a wall. Five against in regulation isn't how goalies land endorsement deals or Vezina votes. The Context But context matters more than box scores. Vegas got multiple clean deflections, a puck off a defender's stick, and a perfect tip from Brett Howden. You don't chalk those up as "bad goals." The Saves When Colorado finally stabilized, Wedgewood gave them the saves you need in a comeback game: not perfect, but timely. The difference between hanging around and getting buried. Penalty Kill Dominance The Avs' PK went 3-for-3, including a massive third-period kill where Wedgewood had to track east–west passes through traffic and survive a backdoor tap attempt that rang iron instead of twine. Those are the moments that don't show up in Twitter highlights but absolutely define games. He then settled in for the shootout and made enough stops to hand the game back to the stars. It wasn't pretty, but it was survivable. On a night like this, that's a skill. Sometimes the best save is just giving your team a chance.

In a 6–5 circus, it's easy to miss the guy holding the tent poles. But if you want to understand why the Avs feel so much more stable down the middle this year, pull Brock Nelson's clips from this game and enjoy the calm in the chaos. Faceoff Mastery Won critical draws in all three zones, giving Colorado possession when it mattered most. The unsung stat that changes games. Neutral Zone IQ Kept winning bump-backs in the neutral zone, finding soft spots between Vegas layers where chaos turns into control. Clean Entries Fed 29 and 88 clean pucks at times where one more failed entry might have broken Colorado's push entirely. Brock Nelson's game was quiet, deliberate, and absolutely necessary. He's not going to get the national segment after this one. He won't be in the highlight packages or the social media clips. But if you rewind the tape on every big Colorado sequence in the third period, you'll find Nelson somewhere in the first three touches — stabilizing, distributing, doing the boring stuff that makes highlight-reel plays possible. This is what depth looks like when it's actually working. Not just "guys who can fill in," but legitimate difference-makers who make star players better. Nelson is the kind of acquisition that doesn't get headlines in July but wins you games in April. The Avs know it. Vegas learned it the hard way.

Here's the part that probably matters most, the thread that ties this whole chaotic night together: The Avs came into this game with the best third-period goal differential in the league. It's a fun stat until you actually have to prove it in a hostile building, on heavy legs, while trailing multiple times. It's the difference between a regular-season curiosity and a legitimate identity. Down 4–2 After Two They didn't hide from the pace after a second period that swung wildly; they cranked it. Pushed the tempo when most teams would turtle and hope for a lucky bounce. Sissons Backhand Response After giving up the late Colton Sissons backhand on a broken play that'll haunt the video room, they didn't sag or point fingers; they pulled Wedgewood and ran a 6-on-5 clinic. Shootout Breakthrough Then closed the deal in a shootout they'd been 0–4 in. Sometimes you have to lose a few before you learn how to win them. Third Period Numbers Goals: COL 3, VGK 1 Shot attempts: 28-19 Colorado High-danger chances: 7-3 Avs Faceoffs won: 11 of 16 This was the first true "how do you respond when a good team keeps punching back?" road test of the season. Colorado answered with their most chaotic, most resilient third period so far. The result is just two points in December. The tape looks a lot like May. And that should terrify the rest of the Western Conference.

LAS VEGAS — If you're looking for clean structure or airtight systems tape from Avalanche–Golden Knights on December 27, this is not your game. If you're looking for proof that this team simply does not accept "scheduled losses" — travel-day back from Christmas, holiday legs, hostile building, down multiple goals — then you probably circled this one in permanent marker. Colorado 6, Vegas 5 (SO). It was chaotic, sloppy, nervy, and maybe the clearest reminder yet of what this version of the Avalanche actually is: a wagon that can be late to the party and still own the night. This wasn't a textbook W. This was a statement game wrapped in chaos, delivered with the kind of swagger that only comes from a team that knows it can turn the lights on whenever it damn well pleases. The kind of game that has playoff DNA splattered all over it, even in late December.

The league gave everyone three days off. The schedule gave the Avs a morning flight into Vegas and a national TV building that doesn't believe in subtlety or quiet. The first period looked exactly like you'd expect from that mix. Colorado's legs were somewhere over Utah. Vegas' were churning in the low slot. The Golden Knights were missing Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, and William Karlsson, but Bruce Cassidy's team did the one thing they can always control: they stacked bodies in front of Carter Hart and made the middle of the ice look like DIA security on Thanksgiving. First Period Reality Check Vegas dominated possession early Colorado's timing was off by a beat Holtz opened scoring at 8:47 Shot attempts: VGK 14, COL 8 The Avs — who usually live off east–west seams and timing plays — kept firing pucks into golden helmets and shin pads. Alexander Holtz opened the scoring off a designed point shot / backdoor tip, and that 1–0 felt heavier than it should have because Colorado's game just wasn't… there yet. Then Vegas made it 2–0 early in the second on an odd-man rush that turned into a clean Mitch Marner-to-Ivan Barbashev tap-in. Everything about the night screamed "flush it and move on." The Avalanche didn't. And that's where things got interesting.

Points Career-high performance from the rookie defenseman Ice Time Trusted in all situations throughout the comeback Plus/Minus Steady two-way game when it mattered most If you watched only the highlight pack, you'd think this game was just MacKinnon and Nečas trading haymakers with Marner and Sissons. But between the rushes, this was a Sam Malinski night. He finished with three points, but that undersells how steady and aggressive he was in a game where most guys took a period and a half to find their timing. Malinski walked blue lines without panic, hit the middle of the ice off the wall, and — most importantly — kept feeding the forwards in motion instead of off static, stand-still looks. On a night when Colorado's structure was creaky, he played like a 400-game vet, not a guy still stapling his NHL résumé together. His wrist shot that started the Sam Girard "Plinko" goal was exactly the right idea: not a hero blast, just get it to a dangerous touch point quickly. His bomb in the third that leaked through Hart and got nudged over the line by Nathan MacKinnon was pure decisiveness. You don't usually circle your rookie D as a driver in a 6–5 track meet in Vegas. Tonight, you kind of have to.

Gabe Landeskog has highlight nights and he has captain nights. This was squarely the latter. The moments that changed the game didn't look sexy in real time, but they're the difference between two points and a moral victory speech. When Colorado finally started to tilt the ice in the second half of the game, 92 was almost always involved at the start of the sequence: a won draw, a clean chip-out under pressure, a net-front box-out that let a point shot actually get through. Zone Entry Mastery Staying just onside forever on a Malinski entry that turned into a goal chance, instead of mentally drifting and bailing early. The kind of patience that only comes from 800+ NHL games. Physical Presence Eating contact on the walls in the second when the Avs were still waiting for their lungs to show up. Taking hits so skilled guys don't have to — classic captain tax. Pace Control Dragging pace up by winning small battles at the blue lines — the entries, the clears, the taps that don't show up on NHL.com but completely flip possession and momentum. By the time he teed up that late 6-on-5 look for Artturi Lehkonen, you could feel the building's energy shifting. Landeskog doesn't do big gestures; he just slowly moves the center of gravity of the game until it belongs to Colorado again. It's Jedi stuff, hidden in plain sight.

For weeks, the internal conversation around Marty Nečas has basically been: What happens if he just shoots more? This game might end up as Exhibit A. He finished with two goals and the filthiest shootout winner you're going to see from a player who literally fell while scoring. Everything about his night screamed "volume shooter with elite tools," not just high-skill passer who sometimes rips it. The more Nečas threatens downhill as a shooter, the more defending Colorado becomes a "pick your poison" problem. If teams sit back on seams, he can hammer pucks. If they respect his release, he carves them up with the pass. Goals Both came from shooting first mentality SO Winner Falling-down beauty for the books The Goals That Mattered Goal #1: Chaos Theory Intended wide, deflected off a Vegas stick, and in. But it only exists because he chooses shot over "one more pass." Sometimes good process creates lucky bounces. Goal #2: Pure Snipe Walking into space, ripping it over Hart's ear with pace and accuracy that made the entire third period feel different. This is what happens when confidence meets skill. Tonight, he leaned into "hammer pucks," and the Avs' entire offensive shape looked scarier because of it. Defenses can't cheat when everyone's a threat.

Three Points. Zero Quit. There isn't a ton left to say about Nathan MacKinnon that hasn't been said. Nights like this just stack evidence on an already overwhelming case for best player in the world. Points Another day at the office TOI Played like the stakes were May, not December He took a big, clean hit from Brayden McNabb early, got the wind knocked out of him, regrouped, and then spent the rest of the game detonating Vegas structure like it owed him money. Three points. A third-period primary assist off a pure gravity play where three Golden Knights collapse to him and he just feeds Lehkonen into a shooting lane. Multiple OT rushes that felt like boss battles in a video game — you know the ending, but you still can't stop it. Then the shootout dagger: hard rush, brakes, micro-hesitation, flick under the glove. Hart never had a prayer. The Avs have a lot of ways to win right now. MacKinnon remains the "we're not losing tonight" override button. The nuclear option that's always available, always reliable, always terrifying for the other team. He's the cheat code that never gets patched.

Artturi Lehkonen has been doing Artturi Lehkonen things all year — winning retrievals, making little bump plays, being the quiet adult in board battles. The kind of player coaches draw hearts around on depth charts. This game, the scoring just finally got as loud as the details. Early Pressure At the net on the Girard Plinko goal, part of the wave that kept Vegas pinned late in the second The Dagger: 1:47 Left 6-on-5 seam, MacKinnon feed, absolute laser under pressure in a deafening building Historic Moment Completed "goal against every NHL team" checklist — the most Lehkonen achievement possible He was at the net on the Girard Plinko goal, part of the wave that kept Vegas pinned late in the second. Then, with the goalie pulled and the season's first real "do they have another level?" moment on the table, he stepped into a 6-on-5 seam and flat-out ripped. That tying goal with 1:47 left wasn't a greasy rebound. It was a shooter's goal off a perfect MacKinnon feed, under pressure, in a deafening building. The kind of goal that changes series in May. Lehkonen completing the "goal against every NHL team" checklist feels almost too on-brand. He's the guy who just quietly fills in every blank on your depth chart bingo card. Need a PK specialist? Check. Need a top-six finisher? Check. Need someone to do the dishes after the party? Probably also check.

The Reality Scott Wedgewood's stat line won't end up on a wall. Five against in regulation isn't how goalies land endorsement deals or Vezina votes. The Context But context matters more than box scores. Vegas got multiple clean deflections, a puck off a defender's stick, and a perfect tip from Brett Howden. You don't chalk those up as "bad goals." The Saves When Colorado finally stabilized, Wedgewood gave them the saves you need in a comeback game: not perfect, but timely. The difference between hanging around and getting buried. Penalty Kill Dominance The Avs' PK went 3-for-3, including a massive third-period kill where Wedgewood had to track east–west passes through traffic and survive a backdoor tap attempt that rang iron instead of twine. Those are the moments that don't show up in Twitter highlights but absolutely define games. He then settled in for the shootout and made enough stops to hand the game back to the stars. It wasn't pretty, but it was survivable. On a night like this, that's a skill. Sometimes the best save is just giving your team a chance.

In a 6–5 circus, it's easy to miss the guy holding the tent poles. But if you want to understand why the Avs feel so much more stable down the middle this year, pull Brock Nelson's clips from this game and enjoy the calm in the chaos. Faceoff Mastery Won critical draws in all three zones, giving Colorado possession when it mattered most. The unsung stat that changes games. Neutral Zone IQ Kept winning bump-backs in the neutral zone, finding soft spots between Vegas layers where chaos turns into control. Clean Entries Fed 29 and 88 clean pucks at times where one more failed entry might have broken Colorado's push entirely. Brock Nelson's game was quiet, deliberate, and absolutely necessary. He's not going to get the national segment after this one. He won't be in the highlight packages or the social media clips. But if you rewind the tape on every big Colorado sequence in the third period, you'll find Nelson somewhere in the first three touches — stabilizing, distributing, doing the boring stuff that makes highlight-reel plays possible. This is what depth looks like when it's actually working. Not just "guys who can fill in," but legitimate difference-makers who make star players better. Nelson is the kind of acquisition that doesn't get headlines in July but wins you games in April. The Avs know it. Vegas learned it the hard way.

Here's the part that probably matters most, the thread that ties this whole chaotic night together: The Avs came into this game with the best third-period goal differential in the league. It's a fun stat until you actually have to prove it in a hostile building, on heavy legs, while trailing multiple times. It's the difference between a regular-season curiosity and a legitimate identity. Down 4–2 After Two They didn't hide from the pace after a second period that swung wildly; they cranked it. Pushed the tempo when most teams would turtle and hope for a lucky bounce. Sissons Backhand Response After giving up the late Colton Sissons backhand on a broken play that'll haunt the video room, they didn't sag or point fingers; they pulled Wedgewood and ran a 6-on-5 clinic. Shootout Breakthrough Then closed the deal in a shootout they'd been 0–4 in. Sometimes you have to lose a few before you learn how to win them. Third Period Numbers Goals: COL 3, VGK 1 Shot attempts: 28-19 Colorado High-danger chances: 7-3 Avs Faceoffs won: 11 of 16 This was the first true "how do you respond when a good team keeps punching back?" road test of the season. Colorado answered with their most chaotic, most resilient third period so far. The result is just two points in December. The tape looks a lot like May. And that should terrify the rest of the Western Conference.