Avalanche score 3 goals in 3rd period, rally past Golden Knights in shootout

LAS VEGAS – The Colorado Avalanche scored three times in the third period to extend their winning streak to seven games with a 6-5 shootout victory against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.

“It wasn’t a perfect game from us, that’s for sure,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “We kept fighting, and the guys played with a lot of heart. Whenever you’re down against a team twice by two, and you’re able to come out of there with a win, it feels good.”

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, Martin Necas scored twice, Samuel Girard had a goal and an assist, and Artturi Lehkonen had a goal for the Avalanche (28-2-7), who have won three games in a row on the road. Sam Malinski had three assists, and Scott Wedgewood made 20 saves.

“We played really well,” MacKinnon said. “Definitely, deserved to win that game. We were playing well. We felt we were playing them, but usually when you’re down, both teams know who should be up. We just kept going. We grinded that one out.”

Alexander Holtz had a goal and an assist, and Ivan Barbashev, Brett Howden, Ben Hutton, and Colton Sissons scored for the Golden Knights (17-8-11), who have lost four of their past five (1-2-2). Carter Hart made 33 saves.

“We stuck with it. It’s a bit of a funny game because I know that the stats show they had the greater share of the game. It was mostly the third period. A couple of fortunate ones, the first two went in off our guys, so that’s a tough night for the goaltender,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We should have been able to close out the game.”

Necas and MacKinnon both scored in the shootout for Colorado.

Necas scored his second goal at 3:52 of the third period to cut the deficit to 4-3. He sent a wrist shot from the left face-off circle that deflected off Vegas defenseman Kaedan Korczak's stick and over Hart's left shoulder.

MacKinnon tied the game 4-4 at 8:21 when he swept in a loose puck over the goal line that squeezed through Hart following a slap shot from Malinski.

Sissons gave the Golden Knights a 5-4 lead at 16:00, skating through the right circle before going forehand-backhand around Wedgewood's stick and right pad.

Lehkonen tied the game 5-5 at 18:03 with Wedgewood pulled for the extra attacker with a snap shot from the slot.

“They had my back tonight with a couple I wanted back. We found a way as a team,” Wedgewood said. “That’s the mindset here. You find different ways to win and they’re not going away all night. Unfortunately, they got a late one and then we find another way to tie it.”

Holtz gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead at 2:43 of the first period, tapping in a Noah Hanifin backdoor pass at the far post. It was his first goal since April 12, 2025.

“The message to him is impact the game with your skill set,” Cassidy said. “Then play within the system. With Alex last year, it wasn’t as consistent: hard on battles, pucks. The goal he scored tonight, he might have been pushed out of there last year, whereas he managed to keep his inside position, the stick on the ice, because it wasn’t a skill play by any means. It was a determination play to get there.”

Barbashev scored on the rush 34 seconds into the second period to extend the lead to 2-0. MacKinnon’s pass caromed off the half wall, allowing Barbashev and Mitch Marner to start a 2-on-1, and Barbashev finished with a shot five-hole on Wedgewood.

Girard was credited with a goal at 5:19 to make it 2-1 when his centering pass deflected off Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon over the left shoulder of Hart.

Necas tied the game 2-2 at 10:27 when his shot from just outside the right circle deflected off Korczak in front and trickled past Hart.

Hutton put Vegas back up 3-2 at 11:36, sending a one-timer from the top of the right circle that fluttered past Wedgewood’s glove. It was Hutton’s fifth goal of the season, matching a career high he set during the 2018-19 season with the Vancouver Canucks.

“To start, I’m playing, which is nice,” Hutton said. “It’s just finding ways to put the puck in the back of the net, whether it’s jumping up in the rush or just getting your shot on net. Good things happen just like tonight.”

Howden made it 4-2 just 29 seconds later at 12:05 when snuck behind the defense and redirected a Reilly Smith pass short side on Wedgewood.

“A few fortunate bounces for them, but I like that we brushed those off and kept pushing forward and getting back to our game,” Howden said. “There were multiple times that it probably would have been easy to say, ‘It’s just not our night.’”

NOTES: The Avalanche recorded their first third-period multigoal comeback of the season and first since April 13 (4-2 win at the Anaheim Ducks). … MacKinnon recorded his third calendar year with at least 70 regular-season assists (119 points; 49 goals, 70 assists in 78 games). The only other Avalanche/Nordiques skater with as many is Peter Stastny (five times with the highest set at 87 in 1983). ... The Avalanche notched their second 10-game point streak of the season (also 17 games from Oct. 26 – Dec. 2). The franchise has only had more 10-game runs in a single campaign once (three times in 2000-01). ... Colorado improved to 54-16-11 (119 points) in the regular season in 2025. The franchise has had more points in a calendar year just once (2022: 58-24-8, 124 points). … Marner (36 games) became the fastest player to record 30 career assists with the Golden Knights, besting the previous mark set by David Perron (42 games).