Las Vegas (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Colorado Avalanche continued their strong run with a 6-5 shootout win over the Vegas Golden Knights after a back-and-forth contest.
As reported by Reuters, Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon scored his NHL-leading 31st goal, added two assists, and secured the victory in the fourth shootout round as the Avs edged the Vegas Golden Knights 6-5 on Saturday, December 27.
How did the Avalanche rally twice to beat the Golden Knights in Las Vegas?
Nathan MacKinnon charged down the slot and fired a wrist shot past the glove of Carter Hart to secure the victory, extending the Colorado Avalanche’s seven-game winning run and 10-game point streak (9-0-1).
Colorado won its first shootout victory of the season, coming back twice from two-goal deficits in regulation to capture the win.
Martin Necas had a two-goal game, Samuel Girard contributed a goal and an assist, Sam Malinski set up three, and Artturi Lehkonen scored a late 6-on-5 goal with 1:57 remaining to send the Avalanche into overtime. Goalie Scott Wedgewood made 20 saves.
Alexander Holtz added a goal and an assist, Noah Hanifin contributed two assists, and Ivan Barbashev, Ben Hutton, Brett Howden, and Colton Sissons also scored for Vegas. The Golden Knights fell to 4-11 in games beyond regulation and 1-5 in shootouts. Goalie Hart stopped 33 shots.
At 2:43 in the opening period, Holtz gave Vegas a 1-0 lead by redirecting a Hanifin pass inside the right post. This marks his first goal since April 12, 2025.
Barbashev made it 2-0 for Vegas just 34 seconds into the second period, completing an odd-man rush with Mitch Marner by firing a wrist shot through Wedgewood’s pads.
Colorado recovered to level the score at 2-2, benefiting from a couple of lucky bounces off the Golden Knights’ defense.
Girard scored to make it 2-1, redirecting his low-slot shot off defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and over Hart’s left shoulder. Necas followed with a wrist shot that bounced off Kaedan Korczak’s hip and past Hart’s right skate.
Later in the period, Vegas scored two goals in 29 seconds to go ahead 4-2. Hutton scored first with a shot over Wedgewood’s glove, and Howden followed by redirecting a pass from Reilly Smith past the goalie.
The Avalanche tied the game 4-4 early in the third period. Necas scored with a wrist shot from the left circle over Hart’s left shoulder, and MacKinnon followed by tapping in a rebound from Malinski’s point shot that went under Hart’s right arm.
Sissons gave Vegas a 5-4 lead with four minutes left, scoring on a backhand while rushing down the right wing. Lehkonen tied it with 1:57 remaining, one-timing a pass from MacKinnon past Hart’s glove.
In the shootout, Colorado’s Necas and MacKinnon scored, while only Marner managed to get past Wedgewood for Vegas.
Who are the Avalanche and Golden Knights facing on Monday?
On Monday, December 29, 2025, the Colorado Avalanche will face the Los Angeles Kings, and the Vegas Golden Knights will play the Minnesota Wild.
Both teams had games on the previous Saturday, December 27, where the Avalanche defeated the Golden Knights 6-5 in a shootout.
