Nelson's Hat Trick Leads Avalanche Past Maple Leafs 4-1

Sunday Success

Brock Nelson posted the fifth hat trick of his career to help the Avalanche defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday. Jack Drury added a tally for the Avs, while Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced.

"It's a great start to the road trip," Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar said. "I liked our defending details tonight. The commitment to play the right way without the puck, get above checks and check the puck back. It was a really good effort on that side of it. And then the decision-making with the puck, too. I didn't feel like we were forcing plays and trying to make a play off every rush or make a tape-to-tape pass on every breakout. It was good decision-making. If a play was there, we used it. And if it wasn't there, we sent it out of the zone or sent it in the zone and went to go check it back. So, [it was a] pretty mature game from our guys."

With the win, the Avalanche improved to 35-6-9.

How It Happened

Nelson opened the scoring at 6:19 of the first period with his 25th goal of the season via a right-circle shot off the rush after picking up Cale Makar's feed in the neutral zone. With that tally, Nelson posted his eighth-career season of at least 25 goals, and tied his uncle Dave Christian, along with Kyle Connor, Alex DeBrincat, Bill Guerin and Eddie Olczyk for the 12th-most such campaigns by an American-born player.

The Avs took a 2-0 lead at 7:31 of the opening frame when Nelson scored his second goal of the game and 26th of the season via a shot from below the left circle.

Drury made it 3-0 at 18:53 of the second period with his eighth goal of the season via a left-circle shot off the rush.

Nelson completed his hat trick with his 27th goal of the season via an empty-net tally at 17:41 of the third period and gave the Avs a 4-1 lead.

Max Domi made it 4-1 at 18:58 of the third period with a power-play goal via a shot from the left doorstep.

Next Up

The Avalanche continues its road trip against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. MT on Altitude, Altitude+ and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.