Colorado Avalanche first-quarter takeaways 2025-26 season: Dominance redefined in Denver

Colorado Avalanche first-quarter takeaways 2025-26 season: Dominance redefined in Denver

The Colorado Avalanche have transformed opening-night jitters into a masterclass of sustained excellence through the first quarter of the 2025-26 campaign. Unlike the dismal 0-4-0 start that plagued their 2024-25 season, this year’s squad has amassed an NHL-best 37 points through just 22 games, losing in regulation only once—a feat achieved by merely three franchises in league history. This dramatic reversal stems from a confluence of elite individual performances, unprecedented roster depth, and the rare luxury of actual health. While most teams search for identity in October and November, the Avalanche have established themselves as the clear Stanley Cup favorite, making their early-season showcase less about finding themselves and more about sending messages.

Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar fuel Colorado Avalanche first-quarter takeaways 2025-26 season

The Avalanche’s success story begins and ends with their two superstars, who aren’t just playing at an elite level—they’re redefining what excellence looks like in the modern NHL. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar have elevated their games beyond even their own lofty standards, creating a two-headed monster that no opponent has successfully contained.

MacKinnon’s Hart Trophy campaign builds momentum

Nathan MacKinnon isn’t just leading the Avalanche—he’s leading the entire league in both goals (17) and points (37) through 22 contests. What makes these numbers staggering isn’t simply the volume but the context: 28 of his 37 points have come at even strength, where he also paces the NHL, and his +23 rating stands as the league’s gold standard. This production represents a significant upgrade from his 2024-25 start, when he managed 34 points in the same span but lacked the goal-scoring punch.

The most dramatic comparison comes from the Avalanche’s championship 2021-22 season, when MacKinnon missed 10 of the first 20 games and finished the quarter with a paltry one goal and 13 points. He eventually captured the Hart Trophy that year with 140 points, meaning he recorded 114 points in the final 62 games. If he maintains his current trajectory, he’ll finish just shy of that career-best mark while playing a more complete two-way game. MacKinnon himself acknowledged the team’s improved circumstances: “With Gabe back, it’s nice not to have any more uncertainty around our whole team.” That stability has unleashed the superstar center to focus purely on dominance rather than roster-shuffling adaptation.

Makar’s Norris Trophy case strengthens

Defending isn’t supposed to look this easy. Cale Makar has compiled 29 points (8 goals, 21 assists) while skating to a +22 rating, trailing only his linemate MacKinnon. He leads all defensemen in every major offensive category and ranks fourth league-wide in average ice time at 25:35 per night. His consistency becomes even more apparent when examining five-year trends—his 2025-26 production mirrors his output from last season exactly, with one crucial difference.

Last year’s dominant power play produced 13 of Makar’s 28 points through 20 games. This season, with the man advantage sputtering, only seven points have come via special teams, and he hasn’t scored a single power-play goal despite potting 12 last year. This evolution reveals a player who has elevated his five-on-five game to compensate for unit-wide struggles. The +20 rating reflects this even-strength excellence, as both superstars have helped Colorado become the NHL’s top-scoring team while allowing the fewest goals per game.

Goaltending excellence defines Colorado Avalanche first-quarter takeaways 2025-26 season

While MacKinnon and Makar generate highlight reels, the real surprise of Colorado’s first quarter has emerged between the pipes. Scott Wedgewood, a career backup entering the season, has transformed into the Vezina Trophy front-runner through sheer dominance.

Wedgewood’s numbers border on absurd for any goaltender, let alone one with his career trajectory. Among netminders with 10 or more starts, he leads the NHL in wins (13), goals against average (2.09), and sits second in save percentage (.918). His advanced metrics tell the same story: 9.32 goals saved above expected ranks eighth, while his 2.51 wins above replacement places him among the league’s elite. What makes this more remarkable is his background—Wedgewood has spent most of his career as a reliable backup, never the foundation of a championship contender.

Mackenzie Blackwood provides capable support in his return from injury, posting a 3-0-1 record with a .911 save percentage and 2.47 goals against average. This combination gives Colorado the league’s best goaltending tandem, allowing coach Jared Bednar to ride the hot hand while maintaining confidence in either option. The goaltending stability represents perhaps the most significant improvement over last season’s early struggles, where inconsistent netminding contributed heavily to that winless October start.

Depth and roster balance shape Colorado Avalanche first-quarter takeaways 2025-26 season

Elite talent wins headlines, but championship teams are built on depth, and Colorado has constructed the NHL’s deepest roster since its 2021-02 Cup-winning squad. The Avalanche can confidently roll four lines, with the fourth unit potentially ranking among the league’s best, while defensive contributions extend far beyond their superstar.

Forward contributions create matchup nightmares

The Avalanche haven’t asked MacKinnon to do everything himself, though he probably could. Victor Olofsson has emerged as a reliable secondary scorer, while Brock Nelson—the three-year extension signing who spurned free agency—provides the legitimate second-line center presence the team has lacked since Nazem Kadri’s departure. Ross Colton and Parker Kelly contribute timely goals from the bottom six, creating matchup problems that opponents simply cannot solve.

This depth proved crucial when Valeri Nichushkin and Gavin Brindley missed time with injuries. Rather than collapsing, the Avalanche continued rolling, with Martin Necas stepping into top-line minutes alongside MacKinnon and filling the goal-scoring void left by Nichushkin’s absence. The seamless transitions showcase a roster built with redundancies and versatility—when one piece moves, another slides into place without missing a beat.

Defensive excellence extends beyond Makar

Cale Makar headlines the blue line, but Sam Malinski has emerged as a revelation, tying for second among all defensemen with 11 points through the quarter mark. At 40 years old, Brent Burns continues defying Father Time, contributing 11 points while averaging the third-most minutes among Colorado’s defensive corps. Burns’ resurgence provides veteran leadership and offensive punch from the back end, allowing Bednar to spread responsibilities and keep Makar fresh for crucial moments.

This defensive depth enables Colorado’s aggressive system, where defensemen pinch regularly and join the rush without fear of catastrophic breakdowns. The result is a team that scores the most goals per game while allowing the fewest—a statistical combination that historically predicts championships.

Health and stability drive Colorado Avalanche first-quarter takeaways 2025-26 season

The Avalanche’s most significant advantage might be something they cannot control: health. After years of devastating injuries to key players, Colorado enters the 2025-26 season with its roster largely intact, creating a continuity that has accelerated their system implementation.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog’s return provides the emotional and on-ice spark that has been missing since March 2022. His presence alone accounts for 78 goals, 60 assists and 138 points from his most recent full season—production the Avalanche simply didn’t have in their lineup last October. Landeskog’s return also alleviates the uncertainty that plagued previous seasons, allowing MacKinnon and others to focus purely on performance.

The health advantage extends throughout the lineup. Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin, both absent for extended stretches last season, started the year in uniform. Devon Toews, who missed four of six games to start 2024-25, participated in full training camp, accelerating the team’s ability to implement systems. As Toews noted, “We can get down to the nitty gritty a lot quicker. We don’t have to bring as many guys along with our system and structure.”

Coach Jared Bednar has acknowledged this represents the deepest team since the championship roster, and the results validate his assessment. After starting last season 0-4-0, the Avalanche have flipped the script completely, using their health advantage to build an early cushion that should pay dividends when the inevitable injuries arrive later in the season.

Special teams contrast in Colorado Avalanche first-quarter takeaways 2025-26 season

The Avalanche’s lone Achilles’ heel through 22 games has been their power play, a unit struggling despite featuring five elite talents. While MacKinnon and Makar dominate at even strength—their +22 and +20 ratings reflect this excellence—the man advantage has sputtered, producing at rates well below expectations.

This power-play inconsistency represents the one area where Colorado hasn’t achieved dominance. Last season’s unit excelled early, with Makar generating 13 power-play points through 20 games. This year, that number sits at just seven, and Makar has yet to score a power-play goal despite potting 12 last season. The contrast highlights how thoroughly Colorado has controlled five-on-five play while revealing room for improvement.

Interestingly, this weakness might actually benefit the Avalanche long-term. Championship teams rarely dominate every statistical category, and working through power-play adversity now provides valuable experience for postseason pressure situations. The even-strength dominance suggests the talent exists; execution simply requires refinement. When the power play eventually clicks—and with this roster, it likely will—the Avalanche could become historically great rather than merely dominant.

Colorado has built such overwhelming even-strength advantages that they’ve rendered special teams somewhat moot. They’re scoring more and allowing fewer goals than any team in hockey, meaning their power-play struggles haven’t cost them points. This luxury allows patient development rather than panicked overhauls, a position few contenders enjoy.

The Avalanche have established themselves as the NHL’s measuring stick through the first quarter of the 2025-26 season. With multiple MVP candidates, a Norris Trophy favorite, and a Vezina front-runner sharing the same locker room, Colorado has combined elite individual brilliance with unprecedented roster depth. Their health—long an albatross—has become their greatest weapon, allowing continuity and chemistry that opponents cannot match.

The top-line chemistry driving this success extends throughout the lineup, creating a four-line attack that wears opponents down over 60 minutes. While the power play remains a work in progress, their even-strength dominance has rendered it a secondary concern. For a franchise with championship aspirations, this first quarter represents the perfect start. As Gabriel Landeskog stated before the season opener, “We’re a very hungry group. Probably as motivated and as excited as we’ve been in a long time.”

That hunger has translated into historic dominance. If this trajectory continues, Colorado won’t just contend for the Stanley Cup—they’ll enter the conversation as one of the great regular-season teams in modern NHL history. The first quarter provided the blueprint; now they must maintain it through the grind of an 82-game season. Cup or bust has never felt more like an expectation than a slogan in Denver.