Brock Nelson’s Unstoppable Performance Sparks Colorado’s Stunning 7–2 Triumph — What’s Behind His Surge?

Denver’s Ball Arena witnessed a dazzling display on Saturday night as Brock Nelson took center stage, delivering a scintillating performance that left no doubt about who was boss. Racking up two goals and two assists, Nelson propelled the Colorado Avalanche to a resounding 7–2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. But let me tell you, this wasn’t a one-man show—Gabriel Landeskog chimed in with two goals of his own, while Brent Burns, Nathan MacKinnon, and Devon Toews each etched their names on the scoresheet. Meanwhile, Mackenzie Blackwood kept Montreal’s hopes flickering by turning aside 17 of 19 shots, extending his impressive streak. With Nelson now sizzling with 11 points over his last nine outings, and a stellar supporting cast featuring Martin Nečas’s three assists and Artturi Lehkonen’s duo of helpers, Colorado firmly cemented their spot atop the league with an enviable 18-1-6 record. For a deeper dive into all the electrifying action and nuances of the game, don’t miss out—LEARN MORE.

DENVER —  Brock Nelson orchestrated a masterclass on Saturday at Ball Arena, assembling a two-goal, two-assist performance as the Avalanche dispatched the Montreal Canadiens in a commanding 7–2 triumph. Gabriel Landeskog contributed a pair of goals of his own, while Brent Burns, Nathan MacKinnon, and Devon Toews each added singular tallies to the ledger. Between the pipes, Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 17 of 19 shots to keep his impressive run alive.

Nelson now has 11 points in his last nine games.

The supporting cast was no less fantastic: Martin Nečas posted three assists, and Artturi Lehkonen furnished two more.

With the win, Colorado advanced to an imposing and league-best 18-1-6 record.

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Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson scored for Montreal. Jakub Dobeš made 29 saves in defeat.

The afternoon belonged, unmistakably, to Nelson. After serving a high-sticking minor at 16:10—killed off with crucial, composed stops from Blackwood, Nelson reemerged not chastened but focused Lehkonen’s diagonal feed from the right flank found Nelson slicing through the neutral zone, where he promptly dispatched a wrist shot past Dobeš’ glove. With that strike, Nelson reached his 600th career point and did it in style.

Moments later, Nelson appeared to strike once more at least at first glance. As he released his shot, Gabriel Landeskog was sent careening into the crease after a forceful shove from Josh Anderson. Montreal promptly challenged the play for goaltender interference, yet the initial review affirmed that Anderson’s contact was the catalyst for Landeskog’s collision with the net, allowing the goal to stand.

However, a subsequent and more granular league review revealed a subtle but decisive detail. Landeskog had grazed the puck after Nelson’s release, and the NHL accordingly reassigned credit, awarding the goal to Landeskog.

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Off a clean draw won by Nelson, Burns uncorked a shot through a screen by Landeskog. The goal—Burns’ 264th—vaulted him into a tie with Nicklas Lidström for ninth all-time among defensemen, an accomplishment befitting his longevity and command of the blue line.

Nelson, however, was far from finished. After getting turned away on the initial breakaway attempt, he watched Nečas recover a rebound before threading the puck back to him at the doorstep for his second goal of the night. In a hilarious scene, fans who couldn’t hear the scoring correction believed Nelson had scored a hat trick and littered the rink with hats. Although it wasn’t a hat trick, it was still a four-point night for Nelson.

Montreal briefly countered with Juraj Slafkovský’s artful spin-o-rama feed to Matvei Demidov, who deposited a wide-open look to cut the deficit to 4–1. But the Avalanche quickly returned to their dominant wins.

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A chaotic 4-on-4 sequence—both from roughing and holding minors to Oliver Kapanen and Nečas respectively—preceded Colorado’s next brilliant maneuver. With Landeskog lingering near the blue line, Cale Makar lofted a calculated touch pass to allow his captain to exit and reenter onside. Landeskog then drove a low shot off Dobeš’ pads, where MacKinnon buried the rebound for a 5–1 lead.

2:51 into the third period, Nečas delivered a perfect pass at the doorstep for Devon Toews, who scored his first of the season to make it a 6-1 game. Nearly three minutes later, Montreal responded with a goal when Lane Hutson blistered a one-timer by Blackwood on the power play to inch a little closer. However, the Avalanche responded once again with a power play goal of their own. With Montreal’s Jake Evans in the box for high-sticking Nathan MacKinnon, Landeskog tipped in a rebound for the 7-2 finish.

The Avalanche take on the Vancouver Canucks at Ball Arena on Wednesday, December 2. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.  

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