The Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers went head-to-head Saturday, with the matchup featuring former Team Canada teammates Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid. The two will look to link up again this February at the Olympics, but they’re on opposite sides of the scoresheet for now, with the lopsided game favoring MacKinnon and the Avalanche.
The Avalanche have looked like one of the best teams in the NHL this season, and their performance against the Oilers improved their standings in the Western Conference. The team has heavily relied on its superstars so far in the 2025-26 campaign, and that strategy has been working out for them as they take on teams that look to contend with that as the season moves along.
Their nine-goal performance marks their second game of at least eight goals scored over the last two weeks, as they tallied eight goals against the New Jersey Devils on October 28th.
MacKinnon has been one of the best players in the NHL for quite some time now, with multiple awards to his name throughout his 13-year career. He showcased that greatness against the Oilers with two goals and two assists, to mark his seventh multi-point game of the year. On top of that, MacKinnon became the third player in franchise history to have at least 30 four-point games, joining Peter Stastny (52) and Joe Sakic (32).
The Avalanche assistant captain has carried the team on his back so far in 2025-26, and he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. His production could see him climb multiple franchise lists, including points and assists in just a few games. Considering the names that are on those lists, MacKinnon is one of the best players ever to don a Nordiques/Avalanche jersey. He has the opportunity to find himself on the top of some of those lists if the production stays consistent, which gives Colorado fans something to look forward to beyond this season.
Although MacKinnon was the storyline for the Avalanche against the Oilers, plenty of his teammates got involved in the action. Defenseman Cale Makar added quite the contribution to the nine-goal game with his own multi-point game, his sixth of the season. In addition to Makar, two other players, Parker Kelly and Jack Drury, added their own multi-goal games to the highlight reel, giving Colorado four multi-goal scorers on the night.
The Avalanche have proven time and time again that they can score at a high rate, and that kind of play is so difficult to play against. They certainly put everything on the table in Edmonton, and it showed Saturday night during their nine-goal performance.
The Avalanche have emerged as favorites in the Western Conference so far this season, and MacKinnon is a huge reason why. His greatness has been on display for a long time, but it feels like we’re seeing a different side of the Nova Scotia native as the 2025-26 season rolls on.
MacKinnon has been at the top of the point and goal leaderboards all season long, and it seems like he’s found another gear at this point in his career. Colorado is benefiting greatly from his efforts so far, and if he can keep up this pace, quite a few awards are going to come his way after all is said and done. He might even be able to call himself a two-time Stanley Cup Champion by the time summer comes around, and he deserves it with the pace he’s playing at right now.
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