Looking Back: Top Avalanche Moments of 2024

Before the calendar turns to 2025, let's take a look at the Avalanche's 2024 which was full of trophies, comeback wins, thrilling goals and more.

Jonathan Drouin’s OT Winner Completes Four-Goal Comeback Against Pittsburgh (March 24)

At 15:40 of the second period, the Avalanche trailed 4-0 and their eight-game win streak was in jeopardy. However, the Avs wouldn’t go away quietly, as Sean Walker scored at 16:05 and Yakov Trenin added a goal at 19:30 to pull Colorado within a pair entering the third period. In the third, Drouin cut the Avs' deficit to one at 3:32 and Nathan MacKinnon tied the game with a left-circle one-timer off Drouin's feed. Just 54 seconds into overtime, Drouin scored with a drive to the net and extended the Avs' win streak to nine games.

MacKinnon's Hat Trick at Home Against Minnesota (April 9)

If there was a list of games that cemented MacKinnon as the 2023-24 Hart Trophy winner, this contest would be at or near the top of it. With the Avs leading 1-0 less than half way through the first period, MacKinnon took a pass just outside his defensive zone, raced down the ice, and split defenders on his way to a goal like only he can. His second goal of the night and 50th of the season came in the second period when curled in the neutral zone and scored with a right-circle wrist shot. Late in the middle frame, MacKinnon picked up the puck in his own zone and turned on the jets on a signature end-to-end rush and scored to complete the hat trick with his 51st tally of the season.

MacKinnon Ties and Sets Franchise's Single-Season Points Record (April 18)

Entering the final game of the 2023-24 regular season, a 5-1 win against the Oilers, Nathan MacKinnon had posted 139 points (51g/87a), one point shy of the franchise's single-season points record, held by Peter Stastny (139 points in 1981-82). With the Avs leading 1-0 in the first, MacKinnon picked up the secondary assist on Mikko Rantanen's goal at 5:48 and tied Stastny's record. Less than two minutes later, MacKinnon recorded the primary helper on Valeri Nichushkin's goal at 7:37 to pick up his 89th assist and record-breaking 140th point of the season.

Cale Makar's End-to-End Goal Against Winnipeg in Game Four of the First Round (April 28)

With just over five minutes left in the second period of Game Four of the First Round, the Jets dumped the puck into the Avs' zone for what could have been ruled an icing. Thankfully for Avs Faithful, icing was waived off. With the Avalanche leading 2-1 in the game and the series, Makar picked the puck up behind his own net and skated up the left side of the ice. As he exited the left circle, he deked past Adam Lowry while holding off Vladislav Namestnikov and entered the neutral zone where he skated past Tyler Toffoli before entering the offensive zone. In the offensive zone, Makar skated to the right circle and sent a wrist shot into the top-left corner of the net to give the Avs a 3-1 lead in the game that Colorado would win 5-1.

Miles Wood's OT Winner in Game One of the Second Round Against Dallas (May 7)

After defeating the Jets in five games in the First Round, the Avs faced off against the Dallas Stars. In Game One, the Burgundy and Blue trailed 3-0 after the first period. However, thanks to goals from Nichushkin, Makar, and MacKinnon, Colorado forced overtime in Dallas. More than halfway through overtime, Andrew Cogliano chipped the puck to Wood, who picked it up in the neutral zone and used his elite speed to race past Miro Heiskanen towards the net and score, giving the Avs a 1-0 series lead.

Nikola Jokic Joins MacKinnon's MVP Ceremony (October 12)

In 2024, Denver was MVP City. MacKinnon won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic won the NBA MVP. This was the first time in Colorado that both NBA and NHL MVPs played in the same city, and only the second time in sports history. The other being in 1989 when Los Angeles Kings center Wayne Gretzky won the NHL MVP and Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson won the NBA MVP. Before the Avalanche's 2024-25 home opener, MacKinnon's award-winning 2023-24 season was honored, and Jokic made a surprise appearance, bringing out the Hart Trophy.

MacKinnon Scores OT Winner to Give Avs First Win of 2024-25 (October 18)

The Avalanche began the 2024-25 season in unfamiliar territory. They were 0-4-0 and 0-3-0 at home to start the season. In their fifth game of the season, they faced the Anaheim Ducks at Ball Arena. After the first period, the Avs trailed 2-0, but thanks to a goal from Casey Mittelstadt and two tallies from Ross Colton, Colorado lead 3-2 late in the third. With Anaheim having an extra attacker with their goalie pulled Troy Terry scored for the Ducks to tie the game with 13 seconds left in regulation, and the teams headed to overtime. With less than a minute in overtime, MacKinnon entered the offensive zone down the left side, skated towards the middle of the ice and sent a shot from the slot that trickled in past Anaheim's Lukas Dostal. The win marked the Avs' first win of the season and the beginning of a five-game win streak. The team's first win of the season also meant the debut of their new post-win tradition, the big hat.

Avalanche Complete Four-Goal Comeback Against Buffalo (December 3)

Under 12 minutes into their game against the Sabres, the Avalanche trailed 4-0 and inserted newly acquired goalie Scott Wedgewood into the net for his Avs debut. Wedgewood kept Buffalo off the score sheet for the rest of the period, and MacKinnon put Colorado on the board at 2:24 of the middle frame. Down three in the third, Joel Kiviranta scored at 1:19 and Logan O’Connor put the Avs within one at 4:30. Scoring his second goal of the night, MacKinnon tied the game at 7:39 before Artturi Lehkonen scored the game-winning goal at 15:38. In net, Wedgewood stopped all 22 shots he faced. This game marked the fourth four-goal comeback in Avalanche history and the second one of the calendar year.

Mackenzie Blackwood Shines in Avalanche Debut (December 14)

One of the main stories of the 2024-25 Avalanche season has been their new goaltender tandem of Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. In his first start with the Avs, Blackwood made 37 saves on 39 shots in a 5-2 win against the Predators in front of a Ball Arena crowd that was chanting his name by the end of the night. Blackwood was named the first star of the game and received the big hat in the locker room.

After a 2024 filled with great moments, here's to a 2025 with even more.