The Colorado Avalanche continued their impressive home dominance by defeating the Los Angeles Kings 5-2 on March 11, 2024. With this victory, the Avalanche secured their eighth consecutive win and extended their remarkable home record to 14 straight victories. The Kings struggled to keep pace with the league leaders, highlighting the challenges faced by teams visiting Colorado this season.
A standout performance from Nathan MacKinnon marked the night as he scored his 399th career goal and added an assist. MacKinnon leads the NHL with 32 goals this season, underscoring his pivotal role in the Avalanche’s success. Alongside him, Brock Nelson contributed a goal and an assist, while Jack Drury, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas also found the net.
The Avalanche’s scoring began midway through the first period with Drury’s goal, setting the tone for the match. The Kings managed to equalize early in the second period when Corey Perry scored a power-play goal just 5:15 in. However, the Avalanche quickly regained the lead when Necas tapped in a loose puck that was sitting on the goal line. Nelson extended the lead with a precise snap shot that beat Kings’ goaltender Anton Forsberg with 2:30 remaining in the second period.
Forsberg finished the game with 21 saves, while Mackenzie Blackwood, the Avalanche’s goaltender, stopped 23 shots, including a critical save on Adrian Kempe’s short-handed breakaway late in the second period. Blackwood’s performance was instrumental in maintaining Colorado’s advantage.
In a twist, the Kings managed to score a short-handed goal when Joel Armia skated the length of the ice and slipped the puck through Blackwood’s pads during a Colorado power play. This marked the NHL-leading seventh short-handed goal of the season for the Kings.
As the game drew to a close, Forsberg was pulled for an extra skater with 2:26 remaining, and MacKinnon sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 1:37. Makar added another goal with just 45 seconds left, further solidifying the Avalanche’s dominance.
The Kings, now facing a challenging stretch, have lost seven of their last nine games. They will look to regroup as they prepare to host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday at 16:00 local time.
As the Avalanche continue to build on their historic season, their performance exemplifies their status as a formidable force in the NHL, leaving other teams striving to catch up.