The Colorado Avalanche\u00a0are in the midst of a storybook start to the 2025-26 campaign, leading the NHL with a sparkling 12-1-5 record after a 6-3 doubling up of the Buffalo Sabres at Ball Arena on Thursday night. It was the fifth consecutive win for the Avs, who are looking like a powerhouse in the early going.<\/p>\n
And star forward Martin Necas was right in the thick of things \u2014 as he usually is \u2014 scoring two goals and adding two assists for his first four-point game of the new season. The Czech native also made Avalanche\u00a0franchise history in the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin Necas became the first player in Avalanche\/Nordiques history to score within the opening minute of a game three times in a single season,\u201d confirmed NHL Public Relations on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Necas opened the scoring just 52 seconds into the contest, and it\u2019s becoming clear No. 88\u00a0doesn\u2019t like wasting time\u00a0once the puck drops.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s nice when the other team has to chase and we just keep playing our game,\u201d the 26-year-old said afterwards, per NHL.com\u2019s Ryan Boulding. \u201cI don\u2019t think we can let off the gas. Even if you don\u2019t start well, you still give your best. [You\u2019re] wasting energy, so might as well make it count, and whenever you\u2019re up in the first period, it\u2019s always good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Necas would assist on Colorado\u2019s next goal, giving the team a 2-0 lead. Buffalo ended up fighting back, even tying things up late in the second period. But Necas wasn\u2019t done, scoring the dagger with under four minutes left in the final frame.<\/p>\n
That gave the Avs a 5-3 lead, which would be all that they needed on this night. Necas assisted on Gabriel Landeskog\u2019s empty net goal to seal the victory late in regulation.<\/p>\n
After the cross-conference victory, the Avalanche remain without a regulation loss since October 25. Jared Bednar\u2019s team is looking nothing short of formidable, scoring 74 goals already through just 18 games. That\u2019s \u201cthe fourth most in team history prior to the club\u2019s 20th game of a season behind 1995-96 (77), 2005-06 (76) and 2021-22 (76),\u201d confirmed Boulding.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved our start. We talked about it,\u201d Bednar said. \u201cThey\u2019re playing on a back to back. It\u2019s a young team. They\u2019ve lost a handful in a row. You knew they were going to be hungry. We tried to push them out of the game early. They didn\u2019t go away. Give them credit. And then we made some mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although the Avalanche allowed the Sabres to get back into it, Necas was a big reason why they were able to close it out. He\u2019s a critical part of one of the league\u2019s best top lines alongside Artturi Lehkonen and\u00a0league-leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon; the latter has amassed a ridiculous 33 points in just 18 games.<\/p>\n
Next up for the Western Conference\u2019s top team is a date with the visiting New York Islanders on Sunday night. After that, Colorado will have a three-day break before returning to the ice to host the New York Rangers next Thursday, November 20.<\/p>\n
With a mostly healthy roster and more star power than maybe any other club, the Avs will look to keep on rolling as they try to capture a first President\u2019s Trophy since 2020-21.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Minnesota Wild\u00a0(8-7-4) is back on home ice tonight to host the\u00a0Vegas Golden Knights\u00a0(8-4-5).\u00a0\u00a0The Wild will be without forward Vladimir Tarasenko for the second straight game.<\/p>\n
Tarasenko, 33, has two goals and ten points in 18 games this year for the Wild.\u00a0He missed Saturday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks\u00a0with a lower-body injury and will not play again on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Wild head coach John Hynes said after the game that Tarasenko’s status will be day-to-day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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