Thrilling Matchup at Ball Arena
In a thrilling matchup at Ball Arena in Denver, Martin Nečas was the standout performer for the Colorado Avalanche, leading them to a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. This victory marked the Avalanche’s fifth consecutive win, while Buffalo continued their struggle, recording their fifth straight loss.
Nečas Shines with Four Points
Nečas showcased his skills with two goals and two assists, while Nathan MacKinnon extended his impressive point streak to 11 games with another assist, bringing his total to 23 points during this stretch (eight goals and 15 assists). Gabriel Landeskog also made headlines by scoring his 250th career NHL goal, and Gavin Brindley added a goal and an assist to the Avalanche’s cause. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves, contributing to the team’s impressive performance and improving their season record to 12 wins, 1 loss, and 5 overtime losses.
Sabres Struggle Continues
On the other side, the Sabres saw contributions from Joshua Thompson, who scored a goal and set up another, and Jordan Greenway found the back of the net as well. Despite their efforts, Buffalo was unable to overcome their recent troubles, having lost eight of their last nine games. Alex Lyon, in net for the Sabres, yielded two goals on three shots before being replaced by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who stopped 26 shots in relief.
Coaching Insights and Game Highlights
“I thought Marty had a really nice bounce-back game,”
– Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar
Nečas’s four-point performance was particularly notable as it came following two lackluster games, which prompted Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar to provide some course correction. Nečas’s meeting with assistant coach Dave Hakstol earlier in the day seemed to pay off immediately.
The scoring kicked off just 52 seconds into the game when Cale Makar set up Nečas for a breakaway goal, putting the Avalanche ahead 1-0. Buffalo’s Beck Malenstyn engaged in a brief altercation with Avalanche players soon after, but no penalties were issued. Colorado doubled their lead at the 6:10 mark when Artturi Lehkonen found the net off a rebound effort, prompting Buffalo to swap goalies.
The Sabres countered quickly, with Bowen Byram scoring against his former team, capitalizing on Blackwood’s error, and soon after, the teams exchanged goals once more, resulting in a back-and-forth score of 3-1 in favor of the Avalanche by the end of the first period. Despite a potential fourth goal by Landeskog being disallowed due to goalie interference, the Avalanche maintained their momentum into the second period.
Second and Final Period Highlights
The game’s pace escalated in the second period, highlighted by several power plays and key saves from both goaltenders. Ultimately, after the Sabres managed to score on a power play through Thompson, Brindley resiliently restored Colorado’s lead shortly before the intermission, making the score 4-3.
In the final period, the Avalanche had opportunities to extend their lead, but Luukkonen continued to hold strong in his crease. Nečas scored his second goal of the night just past the halfway mark, making it 5-3 for Colorado. In the waning moments of the game, Landeskog secured an empty-net goal to finalize the score at 6-3, highlighting a resounding victory for the Avalanche, who continue to dominate this season.
