MacKinnon Scores OT Winner as Avalanche Secure First Win of the Season Against Ducks

DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon netted the game-winning goal with just 41 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Colorado Avalanche to their first victory of the season with a 4-3 triumph over the Anaheim Ducks at Ball Arena on Friday. Nathan MacKinnon was on the ice 4:43 of the 5:00 overtime.

MacKinnon broke into the zone from the neutral area and fired a wrist shot past Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal, securing the win for Colorado. The decisive goal came after Anaheim’s Troy Terry had tied the game with only 13 seconds remaining in regulation, capitalizing on an extra attacker with a wrist shot from the left circle.

“I’m always trying to score,” MacKinnon said, reflecting on his OT heroics. “I thought [Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov] had me covered, but I managed to sneak it in. It wasn’t a great shot, but we needed that one to finally go our way.”

Ross Colton scored twice in the third period, Casey Mittelstadt added a goal and an assist, and Mikko Rantanen chipped in three assists as the Avalanche (1-4-0) avoided starting the season with five consecutive losses. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev made 17 saves in the win.

“You’ve got to be happy with the effort and determination,” said Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. “The guys stuck with it, and they’re finally getting rewarded for playing the right way.”

Leo Carlsson and Ryan Strome scored for Anaheim (2-1-1), while Lukas Dostal was stellar in goal, making 45 saves to keep the Ducks competitive.

“It was an incredible goaltending performance,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. “We didn’t play well at all, but Lukas kept us in it. It’s one of those games where you throw away the tape and get ready for the next one.”

Officiating:

The elephant in the room has to mentioned in this game. This is the first time I can remember a goal being counted after a puck clearly was out of play hitting the netting behind the Av’s goal. The official pointed to the puck as if he knew it was out of play but never blew his whistle. Avalanche defender just casually flipped the puck out of the zone for what he thought was a faceoff outside of the zone, but the whistle never blew. And Strome ends up scoring a goal, as many of the players on the ice stopped playing. The goal was not reviewed & because the puck left the defensive zone, Colorado was not able to challenge. This was the equivalent of an NFL player catching a punt out of bounds then running it back for a TD. Everyone on the field stop playing, and the TD standing because a ref didn’t see he was out. This play should not even have to be challenged. It was embarrassing!

Game Highlights:

Carlsson opened the scoring for Anaheim at 6:05 of the first period, pouncing on a loose puck in a net-front scramble.
Strome extended the Ducks’ lead to 2-0 late in the first, finishing off a rebound opportunity.
Mittelstadt cut the deficit to 2-1 just 57 seconds into the second period, scoring on a breakaway after a neutral zone pass from Nikolai Kovalenko.
Colton tied the game 2-2 early in the third with a power-play goal, firing a one-timer during a 5-on-3 advantage. He then gave the Avalanche a 3-2 lead midway through the period with another goal, finishing from close range off a pass from Rantanen.
Terry sent the game to overtime, scoring with just 13 seconds left and Dostal pulled for an extra attacker.

MacKinnon’s overtime winner marked his 14th career OT goal, extending his Avalanche/Nordiques franchise record.

“It’s a huge relief to finally get that first win,” said Cale Makar, who extended his season-opening point streak to five games. “Everyone was super committed tonight, and we knew we needed this one.”

Key Stats:

Mittelstadt’s goal marked his 200th NHL point.
Kovalenko notched his first NHL point with an assist on Mittelstadt’s goal.
Makar became the first defenseman in Avalanche/Nordiques history to open two different seasons with five-game point streaks.

The Avalanche will look to build on this win as they head into their next game, eager to continue climbing out of their early-season slump.