MacKinnon’s Four-Point Night Powers Avalanche Past Lightning 6-3

Game Summary

The Colorado Avalanche secured a decisive 6-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Ball Arena on Friday, October 23, 2026. The win improved Colorado’s record to 6-4-1, earning them 13 points in the standings, while Tampa Bay fell to 7-3-0 with 14 points.

First Period: Early Lead Established

Colorado struck first when Devon Toews scored his third goal of the season. His wrist shot gave the Avalanche a 1-0 advantage, assisted by Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon. Nazem Kadri quickly doubled the lead with his first career goal, snapping in a shot assisted by T.J. Hughes and MacKinnon to make it 2-0.

Second Period: Lightning Respond, Avalanche Extend

Tampa Bay opened the second period with a goal from Fedor Svechkov, who batted in a shot for his second tally, cutting the deficit to 3-1. However, Jake Guentzel answered immediately for the visitors, using a snap shot assisted by Charle-Edouard D'Astous and Brayden Point to make it 3-2.

Colorado regained control shortly after when Artturi Lehkonen scored his ninth goal of the year, assisted by MacKinnon and Toews, restoring the two-goal margin at 4-2. Guentzel added another snap shot, assisted by Point and Brandon Hagel, to bring Tampa Bay within one goal at 4-3.

Third Period: Sealing the Win

MacKinnon extended his personal scoring streak with his seventh goal of the season, a wrist shot assisted by Lehkonen and Necas, making the score 5-3. Charle-Edouard D'Astous reduced the gap further with his second goal, a snap shot assisted by Gage Goncalves and Max Crozier, bringing the final period score to 5-4.

Martin Necas capped the scoring with his sixth goal of the season, a wrist shot assisted by Gabriel Landeskog, setting the final margin at 6-3. MacKinnon finished with four points (1G, 3A), while Guentzel led Tampa Bay with two goals and two assists.

Final Thoughts

The Avalanche utilized balanced scoring contributions to overcome a resilient Lightning squad that featured strong performances from Guentzel and Point. The game concluded with an attendance of 18,104 at Ball Arena in Denver.

Sources

ESPN