MacKinnon Posts Two Goals, Assist to Help Avalanche Beat Nashville 5-2 

Defending Home Ice

The Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 5-2 at Ball Arena on Saturday. Nathan MacKinnon posted three points (2g/1a) to become the first player in the NHL this season to record 50 points. With his first goal of the night, MacKinnon recorded his 947th-career point and passed Michel Goulet for the third-most points in franchise history. Additionally, Artturi Lehkonen added a pair of goals while Mikko Rantanen posted three assists. Making his Avalanche debut, Mackenzie Blackwood made 37 saves and was named the game's first star.

"I thought he was outstanding," Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar said when talking about Blackwood's performance. "[He] just [had] complete control of the game."

Blackwood made 13 saves in the first period, 16 in the second, and eight in the third.

"That was a great game to get [to be] a part of," Blackwood said after his first appearance in the Burgundy and Blue. "I'm so thankful that we can come out with a win in the first one."

How It Happened

After a scoreless first period, Ross Colton put the Avalanche on the board first with his 10th goal of the season at 11:32 of the second period with a one-timer from the left slot. Casey Mittelstadt's set up the goal with a feed from below the goal line after he protected the puck along the boards, turned around and found Colton.

"[Devon Toews] got it up the wall," Colton said when describing his goal. "[He] did a nice job of cycling it down, and then [Mittelstadt] is really dangerous down there [below the goal line]. He's so shifty and crafty. [You] just [have] to find a little soft area for him, and he'll get it to you. So [I] just popped in the slot and he fed me a nice pass."

MacKinnon doubled Colorado's lead at 18:52 of the second period with his 12th goal of the sesason via a wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle. Rantanen picked up the assist on the goal after he took the puck from Predators defenseman Marc Del Gaizo from between the right circle and the boards, turned and found MacKinnon with a pass from along the boards.

Lehkonen gave the Burgundy and Blue a 3-0 lead at 3:30 of the third period with a left-circle wrist shot off the rush that found the top-left corner of the net. MacKinnon picked up the assist on the goal after he skated up the ice and sent a feed to Lehkonen before entering Nashville's defensive zone.

Steven Stamkos put Nashville on the board with a shot from below the left circle at 13:03 of the third.

The Predators pulled within a goal at 15:08 of the period when Luke Evangelista scored with a backhand shot from the slot.

The Avalanche took a two-goal lead when MacKinnon scored his 13th goal of the season with an empty-net tally from just outside the Nashville defensive zone at 18:08 of the third.

Lehkonen scored his second goal and 10th of the season of the game with an empty-netter at 19:10 with a shot from the right point.

Next Up

The Avalanche begin a three-game road trip on Monday when they face the Vancouver Canucks at 8:30 p.m. MT on Altitude and Altitude+.