The Colorado Avalanche keep proving why they’re one of the toughest teams in the NHL right now. With a 6–3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night at Ball Arena, the Avs pushed their winning streak to five straight and continued their early-season surge. Martin Necas took over with a four-point performance, Nathan MacKinnon extended his point streak, and Colorado once again showed its depth, speed, and confidence from start to finish.
Game Summary
1st Period — Fast Start, High Pace
The Avalanche wasted no time getting on the board. Just 52 seconds into the game, Martin Necas broke free after a quick transition play from Cale Makar and beat Alex Lyon blocker side to make it 1–0. Colorado kept pushing, and at 6:10, Artturi Lehkonen drove the net and buried a rebound to extend the lead to 2–0. That goal ended Lyon’s night early after only three shots against.
Buffalo pushed back and found life midway through the period. Bowen Byram scored at 7:47 on a loose puck near the crease to cut the lead in half. Colorado responded quickly when Brock Nelson chipped home a touch-pass setup at 9:46 to restore the two-goal cushion. Jordan Greenway fired a one-timer at 13:28 to make it 3–2 heading into the intermission.
Shots were even 6–6, but the Avs controlled the pace early while Buffalo closed strong.
2nd Period — Buffalo Ties It, Avs Answer Back
The second period tightened up, with both teams trading chances. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made several strong saves to keep Buffalo in it after entering in relief. Colorado still controlled most of the 5-on-5 play, but a penalty to Gabriel Landeskog opened the door for Buffalo.
On the power play, Tage Thompson blasted a one-timer at 14:56 to tie the game 3–3. The Sabres seemed to grab momentum, but Colorado punched right back. At 16:22, Gavin Brindley stepped into a shooting lane and fired a wrister that redirected off a defender and in, putting the Avalanche back on top 4–3.
Colorado outshot Buffalo 12–8 and regained control of the game heading into the third.
3rd Period — Avalanche Close the Door
Colorado delivered its strongest period of the night. The Avs outshot Buffalo 16–7 and took over the game with speed and sustained pressure. Their forecheck created turnovers, and Buffalo struggled to generate anything in transition.
Late in the period, Nathan MacKinnon circled behind the net and found Necas alone between the circles at 16:53. Necas buried his second of the night to make it 5–3 and seal the momentum for good. Gabriel Landeskog hit the empty net at 18:11 to close out a complete 6–3 win.
The Avalanche controlled possession, dominated the third period, and locked up their fifth straight victory.
NOTES
- Martin Necas became the first player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to score within the opening minute of a game three times in a single season.
- Colorado has scored 24 goals in its last four games, matching the fourth-highest total in franchise history during any four-game span.
- The Avalanche have 74 goals on the season, fourth-most in team history prior to Game 20 (behind 1995-96, 2005-06, 2021-22).
- Nathan MacKinnon extended his point streak to 11 straight games (8G, 15A).
- We have reassigned Taylor Makar to the Colorado Eagles.
Game Stats
| Category | Buffalo | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | 6 |
| Shots on Goal | 21 | 34 |
| Faceoff % | 40.6% (26/64) | 59.4% (38/64) |
| Power Play | 1/4 (25%) | 0/2 (0%) |
| Hits | 16 | 22 |
| Blocked Shots | 11 | 13 |
| Giveaways | 23 | 13 |
| Takeaways | 9 | 4 |
Colorado Player Highlights
Martin Necas — 2G, 2A, 4 PTS, +4 — TOI: 21:37 — SOG: 2
Gavin Brindley — 1G, 1A, 2 PTS, +1 — TOI: 13:02 — SOG: 2
Brock Nelson — 1G, 0A, 1 PT, +2 — TOI: 17:10 — SOG: 3
Artturi Lehkonen — 1G, 0A, 1 PT, +3 — TOI: 22:28 — SOG: 4
Gabriel Landeskog — 1G, 0A, 1 PT, 0 — TOI: 12:32 — SOG: 2
Nathan MacKinnon — 0G, 1A, 1 PT, +3 — TOI: 21:04 — SOG: 8
Three Stars
- Martin Necas (COL) — 2G, 2A 4PTS
- Gavin Brindley (COL) — 1G, 1A 2PTS
- Artturi Lehkonen (COL) — 1G 1PTS
Final Thought
The Avalanche are playing like a team with no weaknesses. The stars are rolling, the defense is producing every night, and they’re getting enough stops to keep the wins coming. Colorado looks confident, dangerous, and completely in control of their game right now.
Next Game
Colorado Avalanche vs. Anaheim Ducks Sunday Nov. 16th 9:00PM EDT
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