Avalanche Winners and Losers From Wild Opening-Night Win

The Avalanche couldn't have asked for more fireworks open to the 2026-27 season.

They also couldn't have asked for a much messier defensive one.

The Avs blasted the Los Angeles Kings 8-4 on Wednesday night at Ball Arena, scoring four power-play goals while getting two tallies from Nathan MacKinnon and a three-point performance from Brock Nelson. Artturi Lehkonen also found the back of the next twice, as the Avalanche opened the season by deploying the heavy artillery.

There was plenty to like.

There was also enough to suggest that Colorado still has some work to do.

So, let’s jump right into the winners and three losers from the Avalanche's season-opening victory.

Winner: Nathan MacKinnon

MacKinnon picked up right where he left off.

The reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner scored twice Wednesday, including a five-on-three goal just 23 seconds into the second period. He added another goal later in the frame to give Colorado a 4-2 lead.

Then he did something that isn't exactly part of the usual MacKinnon highlight reel.

He fought Brandt Clarke in the third period.

MacKinnon dropped the gloves with the Kings defenseman with Colorado leading 6-4, becoming just the sixth player in Avalanche history to record multiple goals and a fighting major in the same game.

Winner: Avalanche Power Play

The Avalanche power play was one of the biggest questions hanging over the team after last season.

It answered immediately.

Colorado went 4-for-5 with the man advantage against Los Angeles, getting markers from Nelson, MacKinnon and a deuce by Lehkonen.

Colorado's second power-play unit did significant damage, while the first unit converted on the five-on-three opportunity.

That's important.

The Avalanche don't need one power-play group to carry the entire operation. If both units can consistently create dangerous chances, Colorado suddenly becomes extremely difficult to defend.

One game obviously isn't enough to declare the problem solved.

But after the questions surrounding the power play last season, going 4-for-5 on opening night is about as emphatic an answer as Colorado could have provided.

Winner: Brock Nelson

Nelson had the kind of season debut Colorado envisioned from its veteran shutdown center.

Three points.

He scored the Avalanche's first goal of the season on the power play and added two assists, including one on Lehkonen's first goal of the night.

Nelson also gives Colorado another experienced offensive option behind MacKinnon.

The Avalanche already have an elite top line. If Nelson can consistently produce alongside Gabriel Landeskog and Nazem Kadri, Colorado suddenly has considerably more depth to work with.

One game doesn't establish anything.

But three points is a heck of a way to kick start the year.

Loser: The Avalanche Defense

This is where things get uncomfortable.

The Avalanche scored eight goals and still allowed four.

Two of those four came shorthanded.

That's not the kind of defensive performance Colorado will want to repeat against better opponents.

Los Angeles repeatedly found space in transition, and the Avalanche gave the Kings opportunities that simply cannot become routine. The Kings finished with 30-plus shots while Colorado's defensive structure looked shaky for stretches.

The two shorthanded goals are particularly concerning.

It's great to score four times on the power play.

It is considerably less great to give the opponent two goals while you're supposed to have the man advantage.

Colorado's offense can cover for mistakes against some teams.

But it’s silly to think the Avalanche can score eight goals every night.

Loser: Mackenzie Blackwood

Blackwood made 27 saves, so this wasn't a disastrous performance.

But four goals on 31 shots isn't what Colorado needs from its starting goaltender.

There were several goals where Blackwood could have made a save, particularly the two shorthanded goals from Joel Armia and Trevor Moore.

The Avalanche don't need Blackwood to steal every game.

They do need him to stop the shots he's supposed to stop.

With Colorado's Stanley Cup aspirations, goaltending will inevitably receive plenty of attention. Blackwood has the opportunity to quiet those questions, but Wednesday wasn't exactly a perfect opening statement.

Loser: T.J. Hughes

Hughes deserves some credit for making his NHL debut in an explosive game and holding his own offensively.

But his minus-3 rating tells part of the story.

The rookie was on the ice for several of the Kings' goals and occasionally looked overwhelmed by the pace and defensive responsibilities of his first NHL game.

That doesn't mean Hughes had a bad debut.

Far from it.

He's a rookie playing his first regular-season game against an NHL opponent, and there will inevitably be an adjustment period.

But if Colorado wants Hughes to become an important contributor this season, the defensive side of his game will need to develop quickly.

The Avalanche can live with some growing pains.

They just can't afford too many of them when the games get more important.

For now, Colorado has plenty more positives than negatives.

But Wednesday's 8-4 win also provided a pretty clear reminder: the Avalanche can score with anybody. The real question may be whether they can keep teams from scoring right back.

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