The 2025-26 season is officially here, and the Colorado Avalanche kicked it off with a Marty Party.
Marty Nečas netted a pair of goals, while Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon each registered two assists, propelling the Colorado Avalanche to a commanding 4–1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in their season opener Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. Scott Wedgewood turned aside 24 shots to anchor the win. Artturi Lehkonen contributed a goal and an assist and Sam Malinski also scored for Colorado.
The
game opened with a bruising, hard-nosed first period, as the Kings leaned heavily on their physicality to dictate the early tempo. The Avalanche, however, weathered the storm with composure and responded emphatically in the second period, netting three of their four goals to seize control. The third period brought its share of drama, with a flurry of penalties and heated skirmishes adding intrigue, but from the middle frame onward, Colorado’s superiority was unmistakable.
Kevin Fiala scored the lone goal for Los Angeles and Darcy Kuemper made 19 saves.
First Period
Within the opening three minutes, Nečas was leveled by a sharp, well-timed check from Trevor Moore — a play that set an immediate physical tone for the evening.Moments later, Quinton Byfield delivered a solid hit on Josh Manson, asserting Los Angeles’ commitment to pressure along the boards.Ross Colton also absorbed a heavy shoulder check and was slow to get up, underscoring the intensity of the early exchanges.At the other end, Wedgewood stood tall, turning aside Anže Kopitar’s quick-release wrist shot off a defensive turnover.
The Avalanche nearly capitalized on transition moments of their own, as rookie Gavin Brindley broke free for a clean breakaway, only to be denied by Kuemper’s poised blocker save.
Late in the period, Manson delivered a textbook shoulder check on Warren Foegele along the bench, a clean and forceful play that drew an immediate response from Jeff Malott. Leaping over the boards to defend his teammate, Malott engaged Manson in a spirited bout — landing a few right hands before Manson wrestled him to the ice to end the altercation. Both players received five-minute majors for fighting, though Malott’s decision to leave the bench earned him an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, granting Colorado a power play in the aftermath. However, they failed to score on the opportunity and the period ended in a 0-0 tie.
Second Period
The Avalanche overwhelmed the Kings with their speed in a one-sided second frame.
Just 48 seconds into the period, Nečas broke the deadlock with a blistering wrist shot that beat Kuemper cleanly, giving Colorado a 1–0 lead. The play began with Devon Toews orchestrating the breakout, feeding Lehkonen, who in turn left the puck for MacKinnon at center ice. MacKinnon carried it deep into the Kings’ zone, circled behind the net, and threaded a perfect pass to Nečas, left unchecked in the slot — where he wasted no time firing the puck past Kuemper.
Colorado extended its lead roughly six minutes later when Sam Malinski corralled the puck at the blue line and threaded a wrist shot through heavy traffic, beating Kuemper cleanly.
With just under five minutes remaining in the period, Lehkonen made it 3–0, pouncing on a loose puck after Kuemper failed to control a Makar shot. Despite being shoved from behind by Cody Ceci as he released the puck, the Finnish winger stayed with the play and buried the chance while tumbling to the ice—a gritty finish emblematic of his relentless style.
As the second period wound down, the Kings nearly found their equalizer in the final minute. Alex Turcotte corralled a loose puck in the neutral zone and sliced through Colorado’s defense to create a prime scoring opportunity. Bearing down on Wedgewood, Turcotte tried to slip a quick shot low to the blocker side, but Wedgewood read the play brilliantly — extending his right pad in a timely, composed save to preserve both the shutout and the Avalanche’s momentum.
Third Period
The third period devolved into more of a parade to the penalty box than a display of structured hockey. Colorado ultimately edged Los Angeles in infractions, committing four to the Kings’ three. The fourth penalty of the frame proved particularly eventful. After Colton absorbed a hit from behind and struggled to regain his balance, Fiala inexplicably delivered a swipe to Colton’s face—earning one of the silliest penalties you’ll ever see in an NHL game.
To the dismay of the Crypto.com Arena faithful, Colorado promptly capitalized on the ensuing power play. With 9:17 left in regulation, Nečas uncorked another blistering wrist shot from the right circle, beating Kuemper cleanly to extend the Avalanche lead to 4–0. The sequence began with Brock Nelson winning a rare offensive zone faceoff, after which Makar deftly slid the puck to Nečas, stationed up high. Nečas glided into the lane with purpose before ripping his second goal of the night, punctuating Colorado’s dominance.
But the shenanigans were far from over. MacKinnon was whistled for interference after colliding with Brandt Clarke, a call he immediately contested. His frustration stemmed from what he believed was a missed infraction moments earlier—replay showed Clarke cross-checking Lehkonen from behind, sending him crashing hard into the boards.
Manson took exception and retaliated against Clarke, earning an additional penalty that gave Los Angeles a 5-on-3 power play. The Kings capitalized with 4:53 remaining, as Fiala finally broke through to spoil Wedgewood’s shutout bid. Clarke would later return to the box with just a few minutes left in regulation after cross-checking Lehkonen a second time.
And with that, the curtain closed on a thrilling and entertaining season opener for the Avalanche in this 4-1 victory.
Takeaways
It was a statement night for Nečas, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Simply put: pay the man. He’s made it clear he wants to remain in Colorado, and performances like this only strengthen the case for keeping him in burgundy and blue.
From start to finish, it was a composed and convincing effort. The Kings opened with a barrage of heavy hits, but the Avalanche stayed poised, weathered the storm, and took control in the second period—dominating the pace before chaos erupted in the third. A strong, decisive win. Now, it’s time to head home and keep the momentum rolling.
What’s Next?
The Avalanche (1-0) take on the Utah Mammoth (0-0) Thursday night at Ball Arena. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. local time.
