3 Takeaways From the Avalanche’s 8-4 Win Over the Kings

After a disappointing exit in the Western Conference Final, the Colorado Avalanche were ready to start the 2026-27 season. With a brand-new extension for head coach Jared Bednar, the Avalanche entered the season on the very shortlist of contenders for the Stanley Cup.

In what has to be considered the most explosive game of the new season so far, the Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings put up offensive fireworks. The Avalanche flexed their offensive might, putting up eight goals en route to an 8-4 win over the Kings in their home opener.

Special Teams Were Certainly Impactful

One of the biggest complaints a season ago was the power play. They have one of the best offenses in the league and should be among the best defenses in the NHL once again. The belief is that if they could get the power play going, they would be extremely difficult to handle.

Special teams were mostly very good on Wednesday. The Avalanche were an incredible four-for-five with the man advantage. The downside is that they gave up a pair shorthanded goals, both of which Mackenzie Blackwood probably should have had.

Add in the fact that Parker Kelly’s goal came right after a Kings power play expired, essentially making it a shorthanded goal, and it is tough to ask for more out of the special teams. Limit the costly mistakes and this would have been an A+++ night for those units.

MacKinnon Dominated

Avalanche fans have been blessed to see Nathan MacKinnon dominate for the last several seasons. Many feel like he can still achieve the highest highs, and this game is a good indication of what he can do.

MacKinnon scored the on the power play just 0:23 into the second period and added his second just over eight minutes later. If that weren’t enough, he dropped the gloves with defenseman Brandt Clarke and very clearly won that tilt.

This just underscores the intense leadership MacKinnon brings to the team. His primary role is a scorer, but he does things like fight Clarke to show the intense leader he is for this team. Avalanche fans are going to remember performances like this for a long time to come.

Blackwood Was Up-and-Down

One of the areas that will certainly draw a bit of criticism is goaltending. The Avalanche came into the season with an interesting situation in net. It is clear that they think Blackwood is their long-term answer, and it is probably the reason he got the nod.

He had his moments – the stop on Joel Armia was fantastic – but it was a very uneven performance. He was screened on two goals but the shorthanded goals from Armia and Trevor Moore were both shots he should have had.

Blackwood stopped 27 of 31 shots and the Avalanche dominated, so it’s hard to really complain. That said, Blackwood does need to work on tightening things up and not letting in shots from a distance where he has a clear line of sight and there are no changes of direction.

A Hot Start

While it probably should have been even more lopsided, it is hard to really criticize the performance the Avalanche put forward. They were dominant on the power play, the stars lit it up, and they looked like they were in peak mid-season performance mode.

There are still 83 games to go, but this is a good indicator that the Avalanche are going to be dominant again. It is exciting to see what this group can do and whether they can achieve the massive highs they are capable of.