Necas continuing ‘unreal’ season with Avalanche in Western 1st Round

DENVER -- Martin Necas held the puck for one extra moment or two. The Colorado Avalanche forward then flicked a pass between the legs of Los Angeles Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg to a wide-open Gabriel Landeskog, who scored the game-tying goal with 3:35 remaining in the third period.

It was the type of pass made by a great playmaker, which Necas has become at the NHL level. It also was a pivotal moment for the Avalanche in their 2-1 overtime win in Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old is coming off his best season with a career-high 100 points (38 goals, 62 assists) in 78 regular-season games, topping the combined 83 points he had last season with the Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes, who traded him to Colorado with Jack Drury on Jan. 24, 2025.

Necas has brought that touch to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His connection with Landeskog was huge for the Avalanche, who hold a 2-0 series lead and can put a stranglehold on the Kings in Game 3 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; FDSNSC, ESPN, ALT, SN360, TVAS).

He just about set up the game-winning goal in Game 2 as well; Necas passed to fellow linemate Nathan MacKinnon at 2:22 of overtime, but Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke blocked the center’s shot.

It was quite the late-game performance for Necas, who was in the locker room for concussion protocol for several minutes after a hit from defenseman Mikey Anderson at 9:41 of the first period.

“He’s been unreal all season,” MacKinnon said of Necas. “What a pass to (Landeskog) and an unreal pass in the OT. (Defenseman Brandt) Clarke just got enough on enough of a block on it, or it's a wide-open net.

“So yeah, he's been unreal.”

Necas’ “unreal” season could be attributed to several things, including playing right wing on the top line with MacKinnon (with left wing Artturi Lehkonen or Gabriel Landeskog) and Colorado’s system, which is geared toward an offensive-minded player.

“Yeah, definitely play with the puck more than in Carolina; there’s more dump and chase, I would say, but both systems work,” Necas said prior to Game 2. “I feel like this would always be a good fit for me, and I’m glad I landed here.”

Mostly, however, it’s simply a testament to Necas’ own talent. He’s just hitting his prime, much to the Avalanche’s benefit.

“He’s grown as a player when it comes to confidence and in his role and in the system that we play,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “It’s a pretty up-tempo game which fits his style. It’s possession based. I think that all helps him because he’s a really good transporter of the puck through the neutral zone. He likes to skate with it in the (offensive)-zone play.

“There’s a maturity in his game on the defensive side of things, too, that he’s seen the importance of that when he’s playing on the top line and against top players on the other squad. He’s taken a lot of pride in that. I like the way his game has really come around this year, and he got rewarded by getting 100 points and been able to play in all the important minutes in our games.”

Goalie Scott Wedgewood said Necas is, “probably one of the best neutral-zone skaters in the League.”

“He slips everybody, tries to jump into holes, creates open ice, drives people deep, hits the late guy and when you have him and MacKinnon doing both of that, and a guy like (Lehkonen) or (Landeskog) going to the net doing the dirty work for those guys who like to play with it, it opens up.

“And he has a hell of a shot; that was never an understatement with him. I just think with a guy like MacKinnon drawing more attention, it opens up his release. Always a great player, just fitting in and high-tempo controlled-zone hockey style that we play, obviously it benefits a guy who likes to hold onto the puck.”

Indeed, Necas and MacKinnon have created an on-ice chemistry and sizzling connection that is noticeable to teammates and beyond.

“Him and Nate, I have people around the League and friends that text me and ask me about those guys,” Avalanche forward Brock Nelson said. “They say it’s like watching a different league, watching their entries, their possessions. Those guys, it feels like they create something out of nothing whenever they’re out there.”

The Avalanche are off to the start they were hoping for in their quest for the Stanley Cup. The roster is deep, loaded with players capable of stepping up in key moments.

Necas is among the best of them.

“He’s continuing to grow as a player,” defenseman Josh Manson said. “He’s always had the tools, I think, and now you put him on a line with Nate, you give him some confidence.

“You give him more rope, maybe, to make some plays and do some things, and this is the end product. We’re happy for him. We’re happy to see him have success because obviously it leads to our team success.”