Nathan MacKinnon’s five-point night powered the Avalanche past the Canucks in a 5-4 overtime nail-biter, with rookie Gavin Brindley sealing the win.
MacKinnon’s Magic Sparks a Wild Win in Vancouver
What a night it was in Vancouver! Nathan MacKinnon turned the ice into his personal playground on Sunday, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks. With two goals and three assists, MacKinnon wasn’t just good he was unstoppable.
And while the spotlight shone bright on him, rookie Gavin Brindley stole the show in the end, scoring just 68 seconds into overtime to lift the Avs to another win in their red-hot season start (now 10-1-5).
A Fast Start and Fireworks Early
It didn’t take long for Colorado to make noise. Just over six minutes into the first period, MacKinnon took a slick feed from Valeri Nichushkin and buried it behind Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen to stretch his point streak to nine games.
Barely a few minutes later, he struck again this time on the power play marking his 58th career multi-goal game. Talk about setting the tone.
But the Canucks weren’t backing down. Linus Karlsson responded with a highlight-reel goal, sneaking the puck past Mackenzie Blackwood with a slick between-the-legs move for his first of the season.
Canucks Fight Back, But Avalanche Stay a Step Ahead
Despite being outshot 17-9 in the first, Colorado led 2-1 after 20 minutes. Vancouver’s Kiefer Sherwood tied things up early in the second, netting his 10th of the year with a quick backhand.
Then came more chaos. Artturi Lehkonen gave the Avs a 3-2 edge just 28 seconds into the third, but Drew O’Connor answered back with a shorthanded snipe to make it 3-3. Lehkonen scored again minutes later, only for Jake DeBrusk to even things at four apiece with a power-play deflection late in regulation.
The back-and-forth battle had fans on their feet—and then Brindley finished it. After a dazzling end-to-end rush, he hammered home his own rebound to clinch the win.
Stats That Tell the Story
- MacKinnon’s night: 2 goals, 3 assists, 9-game point streak.
- Lehkonen: 2 goals, proving clutch on the power play.
- Blackwood: 29 saves and nerves of steel in overtime.
- Canucks’ bright spot: Drew O’Connor’s energy and DeBrusk’s power-play touch.
Quick Hits & What’s Next
The Avs snapped a frustrating 0-5 streak in overtime games, while the Canucks (8-8-1) lost their perfect extra-time record. MacKinnon now leads the NHL with 29 points yes, you read that right and continues to look every bit the MVP candidate.
Colorado went 2-for-3 on the power play, and Vancouver finished 1-for-5. Nichushkin and Cale Makar each added two assists, showing once again how deep this Avs lineup runs.
The Canucks won’t have much time to dwell they’re back on the ice Tuesday night to face the Winnipeg Jets.
MacKinnon dazzled, Brindley delivered, and the Avalanche proved they can win the close ones too. If Colorado keeps playing like this, the rest of the league better take notice.
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