Victor Olofsson recorded his first career NHL hat trick. He added two assists for a career-best five-point performance, leading the Colorado Avalanche to an 8-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night and snapping New Jersey’s eight-game winning streak.
Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, reaching his career’s 375- and 376-goal milestones to pass Milan Hejduk for fourth on the Avalanche’s all-time scoring list. The win ended Colorado’s four-game skid, handing the Devils their first loss since opening night.
Martin Necas, Parker Kelly, and Zakhar Bardakov also scored for Colorado, which struck four times on six power plays against a Devils team that entered the night with the NHL’s second-ranked penalty kill (93.5%). Scott Wedgewood made 26 saves, and Cale Makar piled up four assists in a dominant offensive showing.
Bardakov’s goal marked the first of his NHL career, while Brent Burns, who assisted on Kelly’s tally, tied Bobby Orr for 11th place on the NHL’s all-time points list among defensemen.
Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Dawson Mercer, and Stefan Noesen provided the scoring for New Jersey. Jacob Markstrom faced heavy pressure throughout, finishing with 34 saves.
Colorado built a commanding 5-0 lead midway through the second period following Kelly’s goal, before the Devils stormed back with four goals in just over four minutes — capped by Hughes’ ninth of the season to make it 5-4. But MacKinnon responded 72 seconds later, restoring momentum for the Avalanche, who closed out the high-scoring affair with three unanswered goals.
Up Next:
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Avalanche: Visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.
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Devils: On Thursday, they continue their West Coast trip against the San Jose Sharks.
