Avalanche forward Olofsson explodes for 1st career hat trick

Colorado Avalanche forward Victor Olofsson just shut down any doubt regarding his role on the team by notching his first career hat trick on Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils.

The Avalanche pulled off the ultimate revenge game, tagging Devils’ starting netminder Jacob Markstrom for eight goals. Three of those tallies came off the stick of Victor Olofsson.

The 30-year-old got the monkey off his back, scoring his first goals as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. He got a power play goal in the third period to open up a three-goal lead for the Avalanche.

But the night wasn’t done until he notched his third of the game. Here’s a look at the tally:

Olofsson took a sick pass from Jack Drury to blast the hat trick marker.

The Swedish forward ended a night to remember with a five-point effort (3G, 2A). In addition to his first career hat trick, Olofsson also notched his first career five-point game. It was an epic finish to a game pretty devoid of any defense.

Olofsson quiets critics with stellar game

Olofsson entered Tuesday night’s mayhem with five assists in 10 games. While not awful, his goalless streak prompted critics to raise questions about Olofsson’s performance in Colorado.

Those criticisms have fallen by the wayside as Olofsson has proven he’s more than capable of putting the puck in the back of the net. But beyond Olofsson’s outstanding performance, the game against the New Jersey Devils was something inevitable. It was only a matter of time before the Avalanche exploded the way they did.

The 8-4 victory was a statement win as it came against the NHL’s hottest team. The Devils had won eight in a row, including a 4-3 win over Colorado in their last game.

But now, the Avalanche have left no doubt that they’re the league’s most dangerous team.