BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Nathan MacKinnon delivered another star performance Tuesday night, scoring twice and adding an assist to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken and extend the league’s best run of form. The win marked Colorado’s third straight and underscored the consistency of a team that continues to set the pace across the NHL.
MacKinnon’s two goals pushed his season total to an NHL-leading 28 and stretched his personal point streak to six games. Colorado has now won five of its last six outings and has collected at least one point in 24 of its past 25 games, a remarkable stretch that reflects both offensive firepower and defensive stability.
Artturi Lehkonen opened the scoring midway through the first period by redirecting a shot past Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer, giving the Avalanche an early edge. Samuel Girard and Brock Nelson also found the net for Colorado, while Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 34 shots to steady the Avalanche during sustained pressure from the home side.
Seattle, despite struggling overall, showed resilience throughout the night. Chandler Stephenson, Shane Wright and Jordan Eberle each scored for the Kraken, who have now dropped nine of their last 10 games. Grubauer made 33 saves in a losing effort, keeping Seattle within striking distance until the closing moments.
The Kraken were at their best in the second period, when they scored three times to erase Colorado’s lead and take a 3-2 advantage into the final intermission. Seattle’s energy and forecheck caused problems for the Avalanche, forcing turnovers and generating sustained offensive zone time against the league leaders.
Colorado responded quickly in the third. MacKinnon tied the game early in the period with a blistering one-timer from the right circle, reasserting control and shifting momentum back in the Avalanche’s favor. Seattle had a golden opportunity to regain the lead moments later when Jordan Eberle was awarded a penalty shot after Josh Manson was called for covering the puck with his glove in the crease with 12:11 remaining. Eberle’s attempt, however, rang off the right post, a costly miss that proved decisive.
Less than a minute after the failed penalty shot, Brock Nelson capitalized at the other end, scoring the go-ahead goal to give Colorado a lead it would not relinquish. MacKinnon sealed the outcome in the final minute with an empty-net goal, punctuating another commanding night for both himself and the Avalanche.
For Colorado, the victory further cemented its status as the league’s benchmark, combining depth scoring with elite performances from its top players. For Seattle, the loss was another setback in a difficult stretch, even as the Kraken showed they can compete with the NHL’s best when execution and finishing align.
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