Martin Necas had two goals and added an assist, Nathan MacKinnon had three assists, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 6-1 in Denver on Saturday night.
Nicolas Roy, Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson had a goal and an assist each and Cale Makar also scored for Colorado, which is off to a fast start this season.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves and Parker Kelly had two assists for the Avalanche, who have scored 14 goals in sweeping their season-opening two-game homestand.
Dalibor Dvorsky scored for the second straight night for St. Louis, which was playing the second of a back-to-back after winning 4-0 at Dallas on Friday night. Jordan Binnington turned away 30 shots and had two costly turnovers that led to goals.
The first came after Manson’s goal made it 3-0 early in the second period. Binnington tried to clear the puck up the center of the ice, Lehkonen knocked it down in the slot and scored into the open net at 11:40.
Colorado put it away with two goals late in the second. Roy’s one-timer at 18:02 beat Binnington on the short side. The goaltender’s second gaffe, when he misplayed the puck behind the net, led to Necas’ second of the night 23 seconds later.
Binnington has allowed six goals in his last two starts against the Avalanche, with the last coming on New Year’s Eve 2025 in Denver.
Colorado took the early lead when MacKinnon fed Necas in front of the net, he slid the puck to Makar at the right of the crease, and he lifted it over Binnington’s pads at 4:09 of the first.
Necas made it 2-0 later in the period when Artturi Lehkonen stole the puck in the offensive zone, sent it to MacKinnon, and his cross-zone pass found Necas at the left circle. Necas wristed a shot to the far post at 13:12.
Dvorsky spoiled Blackwood’s shutout bid when he scored at 2:34 of the third period.
–Field Level Media
