The Colorado Avalanche were heading into Canada having lost four of their last seven games. The Toronto Maple Leafs were in a similar situation, having lost four of their last five games. Both teams were looking for a win and something to fuel themselves for a victory. With the Avs heading onto the road for the first time in two weeks, they just needed a reset with the 4–1 win. Colorado is just the fourth team to have only six regulation losses by game 50 in the season. Two of the three won the Stanley Cup (both Montreal teams), so once again the Avs are making history.
Brock Nelson scored his fifth career hat trick and first with the @Avalanche as he helped his team improve to 35-6-9 on the season – their second-most wins through 50 games in a campaign (36-10-4 in 2021-22).#NHLStats: https://t.co/V2wzaLq3cF pic.twitter.com/9oJTH5lZYI
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) January 25, 2026
View from the Mountaintop
Brock Nelson could not wait to get away from Denver with two goals one minute and 11 seconds apart. Nelson set the tone for the Avalanche as they threw shot after shot at Joseph Woll, racking up 17 shots on net in the first period alone. The 34-year-old rushed into the zone, taking the pass from Cale Makar, and snapped a shot so hard it broke the goalie camera. His second goal, he was down low and threw it off Woll’s back into the net. Nelson now has 11 goals in the last 11 games. The second-line center added an empty-net goal to make it a hat trick for his 27th goal of the season.
Nelson leads the charge 💪 pic.twitter.com/ilK9xZq2kr
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 25, 2026
Mackenzie Blackwood played a fantastic game against the Leafs. After giving up 11 goals in the last two games, he gave up only one goal on Sunday. It took almost 59 minutes for the Maple Leafs to crack Blackwood, and they had to do it on the power play, no less. The Avs’ goaltender still stopped three of four power plays by Toronto with a .970 save percentage and stopping 32 of 33 shots. If he can continue this type of play, there should be no worries until Scott Wedgewood returns and no reason to use Isak Posch in net.
BLACKWOOOOOD ❌ pic.twitter.com/lSors4sjtS
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 25, 2026
The Avalanche did not give up throughout the entire game. They played 60 minutes, and the score shows it. It recent games, head coach Jared Bednar had said the team was not playing during one period. On Sunday afternoon, during his post-game press conference, he mentioned he was happy they played the entire game. The Avs did not give up on the backcheck either, continuing pressure throughout the entire game on the Leafs.
Up Next
The Avalanche head to the Canadian capital to take on the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. MT. Altitude Sports will broadcast the game.
