MacKinnon scores 2 goals, Avalanche top Bruins

DENVER -- Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Saturday at Ball Arena.

Josh Manson and Martin Necas each scored, and Artturi Lehkonen had three assists for the Avalanche (5-0-1). Scott Wedgewood made 13 saves.

"I think it says that we've been a good 5-on-5 team to this point. We're doing a nice job on the defensive side of it. We're doing a nice job on the offensive side of it,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “I mean it's far from perfect hockey, but it's pretty good for this time of the year.”

John Beecher scored for the Bruins (3-3-0), who have lost three straight after winning their first three games of the season. Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.

“Our top guys were not the top guys again, and if you look at Colorado and our team, well that's the difference,” Boston coach Marco Sturm said. “It doesn't matter which team you are, your best players got to be the best players, and that was the biggest disappointment tonight.

“'Til probably the first goal against, we did exactly what we wanted, even the first period. Second period, we just took too many penalties, but I just said it, we were in the game. It's a 2-1 hockey game. We know they're going to be better than us, but it's a 2-1 hockey game, and so that was the frustrating part.”

Beecher made it 1-0 Boston when he fired Charlie McAvoy’s crossing pass into the open net from the far side of the crease at 3:11 of the first period. Beecher, who was skating in his first game of the season, was wide open when McAvoy faked a shot at the top of the right circle and slapped the pass over.

“When you got a guy as skilled as 'CMac,' you got to be ready for the puck at all times,” Beecher said. “I saw him, and I saw the lane, so I figured it'd be coming my way, and just gripped my stick as hard as I could. He made a great play. So that's all him. I was just standing there.”

MacKinnon tied it 1-1 at 7:08 of the period after Lehkonen sprung him for a breakaway. Skating in from the Boston blue line, MacKinnon went forehand-backhand and finished around the right leg of Swayman.

“He just understands what he has to do,” MacKinnon said of Lehkonen. “I understand what I have to do. Works well. He works well with everybody, to be honest. So he's a great player.”

Manson made it 2-1 with a slap shot from the blue line that found its way through Brock Nelson’s screen in front and past the blocker at 10:22. It was Manson’s first goal of the season.

MacKinnon extended the lead to 3-1 with a one-timer from the right dot that went far side over the arm at 4:14 of the third period. Lehkonen teed him up for the shot with a pass from below the red line.

“Our lineup's really good. Everyone's feeling good, I think, physically, mentally,” MacKinnon said. “The players we have are elite, and, defensively, [have] been really, really good. 'Wedgie's' been great. It's nice to get off to a good start.”

Necas scored into the empty net at 17:23 for the 4-1 final.

NOTES: MacKinnon recorded his 55th career multigoal game and tied Milan Hejduk for the fourth most in Avalanche/Nordiques franchise history. … MacKinnon (six goals, four assists in 10 in six games) matched his fewest games needed to reach the 10-point mark in a season (also six games in 2024-25). … Brent Burns extended his point streak to four games (four assists) and became the oldest player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to record a four-game point streak. … Wedgewood (5-0-1) tied the fourth-longest season-opening point streak by an Avalanche/Nordiques goaltender (Patrick Roy, nine games in 2000-01 and 1997-98 and Mario Gosselin, seven games in 1985-86). … Necas extended his season-opening point streak to five games (four goals, six assists). … McAvoy recorded his 303rd career point and passed Dallas Smith (302) for the seventh most all-time among Bruins defensemen. … Tanner Jeannot skated in his 300th NHL game.