If you were to ask any general manager in the National Hockey League to blueprint the perfect first half of a season, it would look exactly like what we are currently witnessing in Denver.
As the Colorado Avalanche hit the new year, the numbers on the standings board are staggering. Sixty-five points. Just two regulation losses in 38 games. It is, statistically, the best start to a season in NHL history. But for those who have followed this franchise through the peaks of the Joe Sakic era and the valleys of the rebuilding years, the how is far more fascinating than the what.
This isn’t just a hot streak. This is a team that has found a rare, sustainable equilibrium. While Nathan MacKinnon is rightfully grabbing headlines, the engine of this juggernaut is being fueled by two factors that have eluded the Avalanche in recent years: a remarkably clean bill of health and a goaltending tandem performing at a historic clip.
The Luxury of a Full Lineup
For the last few seasons, the narrative surrounding the Avalanche has been one of survival. The team has been forced to play “next man up” hockey so frequently that the infirmary report often felt longer than the active roster. Last season alone, the coaching staff had to shuffle through 50 different players just to field a team.
That script has been flipped entirely in 2025–26.
Thus far, 15 skaters have appeared in all 38 games. That level of continuity is almost unheard of in the modern, salary-cap era NHL, where the physical attrition usually claims a few stars by November. For the first time in four years, we aren’t starting every conversation by analyzing a timeline for a Gabriel Landeskog return.
This stability has allowed the team to develop a rhythm at 5-on-5 that is simply overwhelming opponents. When lines stay together, chemistry solidifies. Passes become instinctual rather than reactive. The result? The Avalanche are dominating at even strength, which has been a critical lifeline because—surprisingly—their power play hasn’t been elite.
Currently ranked 26th in the league with the man advantage, the team is proving that you don’t need a lethal special teams unit when you are dominating opponents during regular play.
Related – Avalanche Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines – MacKinnon, Makar, Necas and More
Defensively, this continuity shines even brighter. Players like Josh Manson are thriving because they aren’t being forced to carry the load for injured partners. They are part of a unit that remains intact night after night, allowing them to settle into roles and execute a system that is currently allowing 2.18 goals per game.
Two No. 1s in the Crease
If roster health provides the floor for this team, the goaltending has raised the ceiling.
For years, the league trend has moved toward a 1A and 1B goalie rotation, but rarely does a team find two netminders playing at an elite level simultaneously. In Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood, general manager Chris MacFarland has struck gold.
Both goaltenders entered the holiday break stopping more than 92 percent of the shots they faced. To put that in perspective, this is only the second time in franchise history we’ve seen two goalies operate at this level at the same time. The last time it happened? Back in the early 2000s, with Patrick Roy and David Aebischer.
Head coach Jared Bednar has managed this wealth of riches perfectly. By alternating starts, he has kept both goalies fresh and competitive. There is no controversy here, just a “hot hand” approach that ensures the team rarely loses consecutive games. While Blackwood is viewed as the likely starter for the postseason, Wedgewood’s 17-1-4 record proves he is far more than a standard backup.
This reliability between the pipes changes the psychology of the team in front of them. When you know your goalie is surrendering an average of 1.94 goals per game at home, you don’t play with panic. You don’t cheat for offense. You trust that a lead is safe. That confidence is palpable every night at Ball Arena.
Chasing Ghosts of ’96
Inevitably, when a team starts this well, the comparisons to the franchise’s glory days begin. The 1995–96, 2000–01, and 2021–22 Stanley Cup teams are the gold standard in Colorado, but this 2025–26 squad is threatening to rewrite the record books.
Related – NHL Rumors: Danault Talks, War Over O’Reilly, & a Bruins Target
Offensively, they are scoring at a frightening pace. With 153 goals in 38 games, they are tracking to break the franchise record set by that inaugural ’96 team. Perhaps more impressive is their efficiency on home ice. They are averaging 4.44 goals per game in Denver, a rate that would mark the most prolific home-scoring season in club history.
But the most telling stat might be the regulation wins. All 16 of their home victories have been secured in regulation time. They aren’t relying on the gimmickry of the shootout or the chaos of 3-on-3 overtime to bank points. They are finishing the job in 60 minutes. They are currently chasing the NHL record of 29 home regulation wins set by the Carolina Hurricanes just last season.
The MacKinnon Standard
We cannot discuss this season without acknowledging the elephant in the room—or rather, the bull in the offensive zone. MacKinnon is currently operating at a level that somehow exceeds his previous Hart Trophy-caliber campaigns.
Having already hit the 30-goal mark before the season’s midpoint, MacKinnon is on pace for 69 goals. That wouldn’t just be a personal best; it would shatter the franchise record held by Michel Goulet (or Mikko Rantanen since the team’s move from Quebec).
Yet, despite his individual brilliance, MacKinnon’s production feels like a symptom of the team’s success rather than the sole cause. He is the tip of the spear, but for the first time in a long time, the shaft of the spear isn’t cracked.
The Avalanche sit eight points clear of the next closest contender for the Presidents’ Trophy. They are winning with defense. They are winning with depth. They are winning with goaltending. As we head into the second half of the season, the question isn’t whether they make the playoffs, but whether this group can stay healthy enough to finish what is shaping up to be the greatest statistical season in Colorado hockey history.
AI tools were used to support the creation or distribution of this content, however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of The Hockey Writers editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.
