Avalanche Top Line Powers 6-3 Win Over Lightning After Two Straight Losses

Colorado’s response began with its top line and held firm through a penalty-heavy stretch. Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Artturi Lehkonen combined for nine points in a 6-3 Avalanche win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday at Ball Arena, helping Colorado snap a two-game skid after losses in New Jersey and Philadelphia.

The result was a needed reset against a strong opponent, though the performance still came with defensive concerns. Tampa Bay outshot Colorado 34-24 and Jake Guentzel scored twice. MacKenzie Blackwood’s 31 saves helped the Avalanche protect their advantage and finish at 6-4-1. The Lightning’s three-game winning streak ended.

MacKinnon leads a nine-point line

MacKinnon drove the offense with a goal and three assists. Necas added a goal and two assists, while Lehkonen scored once and set up another. Their production accounted for nine points, with each forward bringing a different strength to the combination: MacKinnon’s speed, Necas’ playmaking and Lehkonen’s positioning and defensive work.

MacKinnon left the night with 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) through 11 games, putting him third in the NHL scoring race after Friday’s action. Lehkonen’s goal was his ninth of the season, also through Colorado’s first 11 games. That early scoring pace underscores how much the line gets from a winger who can finish chances while creating room for his linemates.

Necas singled out Lehkonen after the game, praising how consistently he finds open ice and helps the other two forwards operate. “He’s very underrated. He’s always in a good spot. He creates so much space out there for me and (MacKinnon) to play a little bit around,” Necas said. He added that Lehkonen “plays great defense” and that players with his combination of skills are hard to find.

One example came in the second period, when Lehkonen made it 4-1 with 6:03 remaining. MacKinnon and Devon Toews assisted. Later, MacKinnon’s goal with 15:42 left in the third extended Colorado’s lead to 5-2; Lehkonen and Necas earned the assists. The sequence showed the line’s ability to turn its work away from the puck into direct offense.

Power play connects; penalty kill faces a test

Colorado’s power play had been under scrutiny since Brett McLean took over for David Hakstol. Against Tampa Bay, the Avalanche scored once on three chances. Nazem Kadri opened his season goal account by converting on the man advantage, taking a feed from T.J. Hughes to give Colorado a 2-0 first-period lead. MacKinnon also assisted.

The breakthrough mattered for Kadri, who had generated shots without scoring. It also gave the special teams a positive moment in a game when the penalty kill had a much heavier workload. Colorado allowed one goal across six Tampa Bay power plays, and repeated penalties in the second period interrupted the Avalanche’s momentum and gave the Lightning opportunities to climb back into the game.

Colorado also had reason to question how one of those chances developed. With the Avalanche ahead 4-1 and a Tampa Bay power play nearly over, Brock Nelson tried to clear the puck. Nikita Kucherov batted it down with a high stick, but play continued and Tampa Bay scored its second goal. Colorado challenged the play; after video review, the goal stood. The unsuccessful challenge cost the Avalanche a challenge and led to another Lightning power play.

The disputed sequence added frustration to an already taxing period. Still, Colorado didn’t let the penalty trouble erase its lead. The team’s response after Tampa Bay scored became a defining part of the night: the Avalanche kept finding offense, while Blackwood made the stops needed to steady the game.

A stronger response, with defensive work left

Colorado built a 3-0 lead and answered when Tampa Bay threatened. The margin came despite the Lightning’s shot advantage and defensive breakdowns that allowed Guentzel to score twice. The Avalanche were particularly vulnerable when forced to defend for long stretches, a weakness their penalty trouble made harder to hide.

Blackwood helped compensate, turning aside 31 shots as Tampa Bay pressed. Coach Jared Bednar called it Colorado’s most complete effort of the season, while acknowledging how much the penalties complicated the performance. He pointed to a strong first period and effective five-on-five play in the second, even as the team spent a substantial stretch killing penalties.

The 6-3 win gives Colorado a result to build on after consecutive road losses. The top line supplied the headline production, Kadri’s power-play goal provided a timely lift, and Blackwood held up under pressure. The next step is making that response more sustainable by limiting penalties and cleaning up the defensive mistakes that let Tampa Bay stay within reach.