The Colorado Avalanche opened the 2026-27 NHL season with an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday, September 30. Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen scored twice apiece, while goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves.
The eight goals were the most Colorado has scored in a season opener in franchise history, according to the NHL’s official game recap. It was also the first game for Los Angeles under coach Peter Laviolette.
Colorado built the lead in a four-goal second period
Brock Nelson opened the scoring on a first-period power play at 6:33. Brian Dumoulin tied the game for Los Angeles, but Parker Kelly restored Colorado’s lead before the intermission.
The Avalanche then scored four times in the second period. MacKinnon converted a two-man advantage 23 seconds into the period and added another goal at 8:33. Nicolas Roy scored at 16:01, and Lehkonen answered a Kings short-handed goal with a power-play score late in the period.
Los Angeles stayed within reach through two short-handed goals, one from Joel Armia and another from Trevor Moore. Artemi Panarin cut the margin to 6-4 in the third period, but Gabriel Landeskog and Lehkonen scored 1:03 apart to complete the 8-4 final.
Multiple-point nights throughout the lineup
Nelson finished with a goal and two assists. Kelly added a goal and an assist, while Cale Makar, Nazem Kadri, Jaden Schwartz and Devon Toews each recorded two assists.
For the Kings, Armia, Moore, Panarin and Dumoulin scored. Alex Laferriere recorded two assists, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 21 shots.
Special teams drove much of the scoring. Colorado produced several power-play goals, while Los Angeles scored twice short-handed. That combination made the game productive offensively but also left both clubs with defensive and penalty-kill details to review.
Records set on opening night
In addition to Colorado’s franchise record for goals in a season opener, Makar became the first defenseman in NHL history to record multiple points in five consecutive season-opening games, the league reported.
The Kings’ two short-handed road goals were also unusual: NHL.com said Los Angeles had done that only once in the previous 14 years. Those accomplishments do not change the standings impact—Colorado starts 1-0-0 and Los Angeles 0-1-0—but they provide context for an unusually high-scoring opener.
What comes next
One game is not enough to establish a season trend. Colorado’s power play and depth scoring were decisive, but allowing four goals—including two while on the power play—gives the Avalanche clear areas to address. Los Angeles generated four goals on the road but spent too much time chasing the game after taking penalties and conceding rush chances.
For more opening-night coverage, read AskNovus’s recap of Pittsburgh’s 7-0 win over Philadelphia. More league reporting is available on the AskNovus NHL page and the broader Sports section.
Sources
Featured image: Markus Spiske via Unsplash. The photograph is illustrative and does not depict the Avalanche-Kings game.