Whenever the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers meet, hockey fans are treated to a spectacle, and Friday night was no exception. The Avalanche proved they can go toe-to-toe with one of the NHL’s most explosive teams, delivering a statement win in a breathtaking 5-4 battle at Rogers Place.
Nathan MacKinnon stole the show with a four-point masterpiece, while Cale Makar netted two goals, including a short-handed stunner, to propel Colorado to victory. MacKinnon’s clutch setup of Martin Necas’ game-winning goal with 4:22 left sealed the deal after the Avs had let a two-goal lead slip away.
Had the Stanley Cup Playoffs started on Friday, this showdown would have marked the opening game of a first-round clash. Currently occupying the first wild-card spot, the Avalanche must climb the Central Division standings after the upcoming 2025 4 Nations Face-Off break to avoid a brutal opening-round matchup against the Oilers. Facing Dallas or Minnesota wouldn’t be easy, but avoiding Edmonton early could be crucial for Colorado’s postseason aspirations.
Makar’s dominance continued as he notched his 22nd goal of the season, five more than any other defenseman, after capitalizing on a brilliant setup by Parker Kelly on the penalty kill. With 25 games remaining, Makar has a real shot at becoming the first blueliner to hit 30 goals in a season since Mike Green did it in 2007-08.
But the Oilers refused to go down without a fight. Corey Perry struck back just 71 seconds later, keeping the pressure on. Then, Leon Draisaitl who had a two-goal night of his own—tied things up at 4-4 late in the second period after an incredible sequence where he intercepted a pass, crashed the net, and buried his own rebound while falling to his knees.
MacKinnon’s brilliance was on full display as he orchestrated a three-point second period, helping the Avs regain control. He ripped a power-play goal past Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner to notch his 21st of the year. However, Draisaitl responded almost instantly with a blistering one-timer off a faceoff win for his league-leading 39th goal.
Makar fired back with his second tally of the night, thanks to another slick setup from MacKinnon. Skinner misjudged the shot, drawing groans from the Edmonton crowd as the replay confirmed the costly mistake. But the Oilers, relentless as ever, answered yet again Perry capitalized on a rebound to level the score just 36 seconds later.
The high-octane first period saw four goals in a span of just 2:34. Artturi Lehkonen gave Colorado a 3-2 advantage before intermission, finishing a deadly counterattack initiated by Devon Toews and MacKinnon.
By the final buzzer, MacKinnon’s four-point explosion had doubled Draisaitl’s output and extended his lead in the NHL scoring race to 85 points—four ahead of his Oilers rival heading into the break.
With the playoffs looming, the Avalanche sent a resounding message: they can go punch-for-punch with any team, even Edmonton’s high-powered attack. But to avoid a grueling first-round battle with McDavid, Draisaitl, and company, they’ll need to keep climbing the standings in the final stretch of the season.
