MacKinnon has 2 goals and a rare fight in the Avs’ 8-4 victory over the Kings in opener

On Wednesday night, the Colorado Avalanche kicked off their season with a resounding 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. At the heart of the Avalanche's performance was Nathan MacKinnon, who delivered an exceptional display by scoring twice in the second period and adding a rare fight to his repertoire.

Hours before the game, Colorado head coach Jared Bednar was presented with a four-year contract extension, bringing clarity to his future after the team's elimination from the Western Conference finals just a few months prior. Bednar, who guided Colorado to the 2022 Stanley Cup title, expressed his relief at eliminating the distraction of questions about his future throughout the season.

Artturi Lehkonen, Brock Nelson, and Mackenzie Blackwood were instrumental in the Avalanche's success, with Lehkonen netting two goals, Nelson contributing a goal and two assists, and Blackwood making 26 saves. The Avalanche capitalized on their power play opportunities four times, while allowing two short-handed goals to the Kings.

MacKinnon, who set a career-high of 53 goals last season, opened the scoring with a 5-on-3 power play goal just 23 seconds into the second period, giving the Avalanche an early 4-2 lead. MacKinnon extended the Avalanche's advantage to 6-4 late in the third period before engaging in a rare fight with Kings defenseman Brandt Clark.

The Avalanche's captain, Gabriel Landeskog, scored within a minute of MacKinnon's fight, and Lehkonen sealed the game with his second goal 1:03 later. Trevor Moore, Joel Armia, and Brian Dumoulin contributed goals for the Kings, while Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves. Nelson and Kelly scored in the first period to put the Avalanche ahead 2-1, with Trevor Moore and Armia also finding the back of the net for the Kings during the second period.

Artemi Panarin scored the Kings' lone goal midway through the third period, which came on a delayed penalty. As the season progresses, the Kings will face the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night, while the Avalanche will host the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.