Nelson, who will represent Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 next month, got his first two goals of the game in a span of 1:12 in the first period before completing the hat trick with an empty-net goal in the third period. He has 13 goals in his past 13 games.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves, and Jack Drury scored for the Avalanche (35-6-9), who are 2-2-2 in their past six games.
Blackwood lost his shutout bid with 1:02 remaining in the third. He allowed 11 goals over his previous two starts, including six in a 7-3 defeat against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday.
Max Domi scored, and Joseph Woll made 33 saves for the Maple Leafs (24-19-9), who are 1-4-2 since a 4-3 overtime win at Colorado on Jan. 12.
Nelson gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 6:19 of the first. After a turnover in the neutral zone, Nelson collected the puck, skated into the offensive zone and shot past Woll’s glove from the right face-off circle. It was his 25th goal of the season.
He scored again at 7:31 when he one-timed a pass from Artturi Lehkonen, who was behind the net, over Woll’s right shoulder from just above the goal line to make it 2-0.
Jack Drury extended Colorado’s lead to 3-0 at 18:53 of the second period. He took a pass from Parker Kelly just inside the blue line and shot low to the glove side from the top of the left circle.
Blackwood made 13 saves in the second, then preserved the three-goal lead at 12:18 of the third when he stretched to his right and made a sprawling pad save on Mattias Maccelli’s rebound chance at the top of the goal crease.
Nelson completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal at 17:41 to make it 4-0. It was his fifth career hat trick and first since March 19, 2022, when he played for the New York Islanders.
Domi put in a loose puck at the top of the goal crease during a power play at 18:58 for the 4-1 final.
