Are the Avalanche Unstoppable? Necas, MacKinnon Bury the Blues 6-1 and I’m Booking the Parade Route
Two games, two blowouts and 14 goals. Are the Avalanche unstoppable? Calm down, Jim, it’s October. But I’ve seen enough to make my call, and my call is yes. Colorado has scored 14 goals in sweeping its season-opening two-game homestand. The opener set a franchise mark too. Colorado’s eight goals on Wednesday set a franchise record for tallies in a season opener. The season is only a few days old and this team is already setting records. Everyone else should be nervous.
The 23 Seconds That Ended St. Louis
Nicolas Roy and Martin Necas scored 23 seconds apart in a four-goal second period, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 6-1 on Saturday night. According to the box score, Cale Makar started things at 4:09 of the first. Then came a play I’d frame and hang over my couch. Necas made it 2-0 later in the period when Artturi Lehkonen stole the puck in the offensive zone, sent it to MacKinnon, and his cross-zone pass found Necas at the left circle. Necas wristed a shot to the far post at 13:12.
The second period was ugly for St. Louis. Josh Manson scored at 5:38, Artturi Lehkonen stole St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington’s clearing pass and knocked it into the empty net six minutes later, and then Roy and Necas put it away with goals in the final 1:58. Binnington allowed six goals on 36 shots in his season debut. Jim, Binnington’s net was empty and Lehkonen still made it look hard to stop. That’s how good this team is.
Necas and MacKinnon: Somebody Check These Guys
Necas, who finished with two goals and an assist, is off to a fast start with two goals and two assists after notching the first 100-point season of his career in 2025-26. Last spring Jim told me 100 points was Necas’s ceiling. I told him it was the floor. I’m not saying I’m always right. I’m saying I’m right right now.
Then there’s Nathan MacKinnon, last year’s Rocket Richard winner. He scored two goals for the Colorado Avalanche in an 8-4 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, then set the table Saturday with three assists. That’s five points in two games. He also became the sixth player in Avalanche team history to record two goals and a fight in the same game since the club moved to Colorado. He’s scoring, passing and fighting. He doesn’t need to do anything else.
Roy, Lehkonen and Manson each had a goal and an assist. Mackenzie Blackwood was a rock in net. He had 25 saves but lost his shutout bid when Dalibor Dvorsky scored at 2:34 of the third period. To be fair to the Blues, they weren’t coming in cold. They opened their season with a 4-0 win at Dallas on Friday night but couldn’t generate much offense against the fast-skating Avalanche.
Here’s the part that gets me. Avs fans show up at Ball Arena expecting a winner, and this team is giving them one. That trust between a city and its team is what sports is all about. (Jim’s crying too. He just won’t admit it.)
What’s Next: The Avs Hit the Road
The homestand is over. Here’s the next stretch, with times in Mountain time:
| Date | Opponent | Time (MT) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Oct. 7 | at Winnipeg | 5:30 p.m. |
| Thu, Oct. 8 | at Calgary | 7:00 p.m. |
| Sat, Oct. 10 | vs Toronto | 5:00 p.m. |
| Tue, Oct. 13 | at Dallas | 6:30 p.m. |
| Wed, Oct. 14 | vs Dallas | 7:30 p.m. |
Schedule per the NHL’s 2026-27 Avalanche schedule release.
My bold prediction: the Avs go 5-0 in this stretch, and MacKinnon has at least 10 points by the end of the Dallas back-to-back. Jim says the road trip through Canada slows them down. Jim also said Necas wouldn’t hit 100. Just saying.
So here’s my question for you: will the Avalanche keep this up all season, or does somebody cool them off this month? Name the team you think hands Colorado its first loss, and the date, in the comments. If it’s Toronto, Jim already owes me dinner.
Your turn: Think Jim or Harry got it wrong? Make your case in the comments (join the Balz Fan Club free to comment and like the best takes). Want the bigger picture beyond the box score? Read The Hairy Times, our sister paper.
Sources we checked (9)
- Martin Necas’ 3 points help Avalanche blast Blues
- MacKinnon Scores Twice, Fights in Avalanche’s 8-4 Season-Opening …
- Necas and Roy score quick goals as the Avalanche rout the Blues 6-1
- St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche Box Score & Stats – October …
- Martin Necas’ 3 points help Avalanche blast Blues
- Necas and Roy score quick goals as the Avalanche rout the Blues …
- Necas and Roy score quick goals as the Avalanche rout the Blues …
- Avalanche score eight in season-opening win against Kings
- NHL drops schedule for 2026-27 Avalanche season
