DENVER — Valeri Nichushkin achieved a hat trick as the Colorado Avalanche mounted an impressive comeback to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-4 on Saturday night. The victory was sealed when Nathan MacKinnon scored the go-ahead goal with just over four minutes left, followed by Nichushkin’s empty-netter.
This marked Nichushkin’s first hat trick in the regular season; he had previously accomplished the feat during a playoff game in 2024. By the end of the night, Nichushkin matched his career-high with four points.
The pivotal moment came with the Avalanche on a power play when MacKinnon fired a wrist shot, beating goaltender Anthony Stolarz to give Colorado the lead. Jonathan Drouin had earlier leveled the score with just over eight minutes remaining. Colorado’s potent offense rallied to net five consecutive goals after falling behind 4-2 during the second period.
Joel Kiviranta also contributed to the score, and MacKinnon closed the match with an empty-net goal, fueling the Avalanche’s perfection in their six-game homestand so far, boasting a 5-0 record.
MacKinnon’s performance was notable, as his two goals extended his ongoing home points streak to 19 games, bringing him extremely close to reaching the 1,000-point milestone in his career.
In net, Mackenzie Blackwood allowed four goals on 21 shots, while Toronto slipped with Mitch Marner and John Tavares each netting two goals, supplemented by three assists from Auston Matthews. Stolarz recorded 27 saves but couldn’t hold off the final rush from the Avalanche.
Both teams entered the game with newly altered rosters post-trade deadline. The Avalanche welcomed centers Charlie Coyle and Brock Nelson, whereas the Maple Leafs brought in defenseman Brandon Carlo and forward Scott Laughton.
Marner’s two goals aided in reaching the 20-goal mark for the fifth consecutive season. Meanwhile, the Avalanche have seen their lineup rotate often, with 46 players seeing ice time, the most since their relocation to Denver in the mid-’90s.
Notably, Nelson and Coyle made their debuts for Colorado, contributing assists, a significant addition on the night of their first appearance. Matthews recorded his 56th career three-point game, showcasing his consistent top performance.
Next, the Avalanche will wrap up their homestand against Chicago on Monday, while the Maple Leafs wrap up their road trip with a visit to Utah.
