That was as fun a hockey game as I’ve watched all season. And part of what made it that was the run-and-gun offensive mixed with defensive lapses and shaky goaltending from both teams.
The Avalanche have proven time and time again since opening night that they can win any game, in any building. The Vegas Golden Knights were 10-0-0 when leading after the second period this season. They took a two-goal lead into the final frame and scored in that period, but still couldn’t remain unbeaten in that regard.
Meanwhile, Colorado completed a third-period comeback for the second time. And it happened by securing the team’s first shootout win of the season.
Here’s what I saw in the Avalanche’s 6-5 win at T-Mobile Arena.
READ MORE: Postgame Wrap: Avalanche Rally Repeatedly, Top Golden Knights 6-5 in Shootout
10 Takeaways
1. Sam Malinski had the first three-point night of his NHL career, and he did it with style. All three of his assists were primary. He felt like the team’s main puck-moving defenseman in this game and was a force in the defensive zone as well.
Here’s the craziest stat of the game: In 17:48 of ice time for Malinski at five-on-five, the Avalanche had 15 shots on goal and zero against. They literally did not give up a shot with Malinski on the ice. They had 36 shot attempts for and six against.
2. The addition of Brent Burns and the continued development of Malinski have given the Avalanche something they haven’t had on the blueline in years.
Options.
In a game like this one, where Burns wasn’t playing his best, he ended with only 17 minutes of ice time. That’s his lowest of the season. But that’s only possible because you have a third pair made of Samuel Girard and Malinski that you can lean on if they’re on their game. And boy, were they ever.
Last year, it was a second pair of Josh Manson and Girard, and Manson missed 34 games. After that, it was Malinski, but not this version of him. And then a whole bunch of duds and replaceable options like Calvin de Haan, Oliver Kylington, John Ludvig, Keaton Middleton, etc.
3. Speaking of Girard, he now has eight points in his last seven games. And he’s doing it while playing the least amount of ice time of his Avalanche career. Girard has not yet reached the 19-minute mark in any of his 22 games. To put that into perspective, it took 25 games last season for him to play fewer than 19 minutes in a game.
Options. They have them, they’re using them, and they’re keeping their guys fresh.
3. Brock Nelson had a sneaky outstanding performance. Despite only ending with one assist (and a shot off the post in overtime), Nelson had some of the best underlying numbers on the team.
Nelson played 23:52 in all situations. In that time, the Avs had 41 shot attempts for and only 10 against. He alone had 10 of those shot attempts, which trailed only behind Nathan MacKinnon among forwards.
4. Gabe Landeskog belongs on the top line. He built chemistry with Nelson but he looks so much better with MacKinnon. That muscle memory from years of playing together between 2013-2022 looks like it’s kicking in.
One of the strengths of this Avalanche team is their ability to shuffle the top six wingers and trot out any combination. Anything works. But if I got my pick, I’d have Landeskog on the top line as much as possible.
5. I’m not sure why the Avs looked so lost in overtime early in the season, but they’ve really figured it out lately. Which is a good sign, at least when it comes to compiling extra points in the regular season, in case the Dallas Stars or Minnesota Wild make a push for the top seed (which seems pretty unlikely right now).
6. If you’ve been following my work this season, you’ve heard me reference this particular Scott Wedgewood note before.
Wedgewood came to Colorado with 49 career wins, and now he’s got 30 with the Avs in less than 13 months. Wedgewood is 30-5-5 since he was acquired on Nov. 30, 2024. And this is the first time he’s given up five goals in any game with the Avs.
7. Sergei Bobrovsky, Igor Shesterkin, and Jake Oettinger all suffered losses on Saturday, which means that Wedgewood woke up on Sunday as the lone leader in wins with 17. He’s played fewer games than each of them, along with Karel Vejmelka. Those four guys are all tied for second with 16 wins.
8. If you were watching the Altitude TV feed, you probably heard them mention that Artturi Lehkonen’s tally in the third period was the first of his career in the regular season against the Golden Knights. And it’s the last team he had yet to score against.
The key here is that this only accounts for regular-season play. One of the biggest goals of Lehkonen’s career with the Habs was a game-winner in Game 6 of the third round against Vegas to send the Habs to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. That, of course, was in the playoffs.
9. Colton Sissons has 98 career NHL goals, and 11 of them are against the Avs. It’s remarkable, really.
Against the Avs: 11 goals in 31 GP
Against others: 11 goals in every 82 GP (on average) https://t.co/AhrPJgfa6y
— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) December 28, 2025
10. MacKinnon had three points, and Connor McDavid only had one in Edmonton. That means MacKinnon is now four points back of McDavid for the league lead, but still has two games in hand. McDavid’s had an insane December, and MacKinnon will need him to slow down just a bit in order to catch him.
