Nathan MacKinnon's dominant effort in Avalanche's 5-2 win over Capitals helps snap mini-funk

Corey Masisak, The Denver Post on Jan 19, 2026

Published in Hockey

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DENVER — The short-handed Colorado Avalanche needed a spark. The once and maybe future MVP obliged.

Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and an assist and provided the officials with a little salty guidance shortly after a potential fourth point was taken away in the Avs’ 5-2 victory against the Washington Capitals Monday afternoon at Ball Arena.

Colorado entered this game in a 2-3-1 mini-funk, which included the club’s worst game of the season, a 7-3 loss Friday night in Denver to the Nashville Predators. The Avs were already without Devon Toews for the seventh consecutive game and captain Gabe Landeskog for the sixth, but Valeri Nichushkin joined them on the infirmary report with an upper-body injury of his own.

MacKinnon set up Cale Makar for a beautiful give-and-go goal, which looked like a key insurance goal and a 4-2 lead in the third period. Washington called a timeout, then challenged for interference. The goal was wiped off the board, much to the chagrin of the Avs players and fans inside the arena.

The Avs’ top line made sure it didn’t matter on its next shift. MacKinnon set up Artturi Lehkonen for a lay-up near the left post and then pointed emphatically at the net — the official signal for a good goal — with 7:28 remaining.

Martin Necas created a turnover behind the Washington net two shifts later, and MacKinnon was there to score his league-leading 38th goal of the season to put this contest to bed.

MacKinnon and Necas combined for a highlight-reel power-play goal to give Colorado a 2-1 lead at 7:03 of the second period. Ross Colton drew a four-minute high-sticking penalty, and the first half of it didn’t go very well for the home side.

But, given a second shift with the extra man, the Avs’ top guns struck. MacKinnon started the rush in the defensive zone. Necas left a drop pass for him in the neutral zone, and MacKinnon collected the pass at full speed and deked by Washington’s Aliaksei Protas in one smooth motion before using a defenseman as a screen for a wrist shot from the right circle.

MacKinnon began the day six goals in front of Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the league lead, but also three points behind the Oilers’ star in the scoring race.

Victor Olofsson briefly gave the Avs a two-goal advantage late in the second. Playing on a makeshift second line with Nichushkin and Landeskog out of the lineup, Olofsson snapped home the rebound of a shot from Josh Manson after Brock Nelson won a faceoff in the Washington zone.

Olofsson’s ninth goal of the season — all on home ice — came at 15:58 of the second. Seventeen seconds later, the Capitals clawed back to within one. Alex Ovechkin collected the puck behind the Colorado net and fed Ethen Frank cutting to the net for a backhanded goal.

It is possible that this was the last game at Ball Arena for Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer. The 40-year-old Ovechkin has 917 career goals, including 12 in 28 career games against the Avalanche.

Parker Kelly put the Avalanche in front at 5:54 of the opening period. Cale Makar danced to his left along the offensive blue line, turned and went back to his right before sending a low shot towards the net that Kelly deflected in the slot for his ninth goal of the season. That’s a new career high for Kelly, who scored eight goals each of the past two seasons.

Colorado took three penalties in the first period, though the one in the middle was suspect … and the one Washington capitalized on. Anthony Beauvillier knocked Scott Wedgewood’s stick out of his hand as he skated by the Avs net. When Beauviller went behind the net, he tripped over the goalie’s stick lying on the ice.

Wedgewood was called for tripping. Thirty seconds later, Caps defenseman Jakob Chychrun’s shot from the top of the offensive zone found an opening to even the score at 7:27 of the opening period.

Footnotes

Nichushkin was a late scratch for this game. The Avs recalled Ivan Ivan Monday morning, then announced Alex Barre-Boulet as a second addition from the Eagles to replace Nichushkin just as warmups began. Barre-Boulet, 28, has been a standout AHL player for years. He has 12 goals and 37 points in 36 games in his first season with the Eagles.

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