Avalanche weekend notes: Bounce-back game, Landy and Nelson explode, Burns milestone

The Colorado Avalanche notched a big win over the Montreal Canadiens in the second leg of their back-to-back weekend set. The Avalanche did not take their foot off the gas, putting a seven-spot on the Habs.

The win comes on the heels of a frustrating 3-2 loss against the Minnesota Wild via the shootout on Friday night. Despite playing their second game in two nights, the Avalanche did not show any signs of fatigue whatsoever.

Saturday’s game also marked an interesting occurrence. It marked the first time in 30 years that the Montreal Canadiens faced the Quebec Nordiques. The erstwhile Battle of Quebec met its demise when the Nordiques moved to Colorado. But for one day, fans got the see the clock turn back.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at this edition of the Avalanche weekend notes.

Avalanche play fantastic bounce-back game

While the Avalanche did not have a bad night against the Wild on Friday, the loss stung as it snapped a 10-game winning streak. So, Saturday’s home game was a big one as it allowed the Avs to start a new win streak.

Most importantly, the win came in Colorado’s third game in four nights. MacKenzie Blackwood got the win, stopping 21 of 23 shots.

As for the offense, the usual suspects had big nights. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists. Meanwhile, Martin Necas had three assists. Cale Makar had a “quiet” game as he notched an assist.

But it was two other Avalanche players who exploded for big games against the Canadiens.

Landeskog and Nelson explode

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog went gaga, notching three points. He had two goals and an assist. It was Landeskog’s assist on MacKinnon’s goal that put the exclamation mark on the game.

Here’s a look, as shown on the Avalanche’s official X account:

If there were any questions about Landeskog’s knee holding up this season, that goal pretty much answered the question.

As for Brock Nelson, he had his best game as an Avalanche. He notched two goals and two assists, earning the game’s first star.

Nelson opened the scoring, making the tally look easy. Check it out:

Nelson now has eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in 25 games this season. If Saturday’s clash is any indication, it could be that the Avalanche center is just starting to heat up.

Burns milestone

Brent Burns scored the game’s third goal, putting the Avalanche up 3-0. The goal scored less than a minute into the second period proved to be the game-winner. With the tally, Burns now has 45 game-winning goals in his career. He passed Al MacInnis and Deni Potvin for third on the all-time list.

Burns now trails Phil Housley, with 49. Former Avalanche Stanley Cup champ Ray Bourque tops the list with 60. At 40, Burns isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. So, if he plays a couple of more seasons with a loaded team like the Avalanche, passing Bourque might not be the wildest idea.

The Avalanche are now 18-1-6, and remain first overall in the NHL. They’ll have a couple of days off before facing the Vancouver Canucks at home on Tuesday night.