Curse Broken: Avalanche Exorcise Overtime Demons with 5–4 Win
The long-standing overtime curse has finally ended, as the Colorado Avalanche secured a 5–4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night at Rogers Arena. Gavin Brindley delivered the overtime winner, marking a breakthrough after five straight extra-time losses.
MacKinnon Dominates the Weekend
Nathan MacKinnon led the charge with an outstanding five-point performance, scoring twice—including a power-play goal—and adding three assists. Over the weekend, he tallied nine total points following his two-goal, two-assist showing in Saturday’s 9–1 triumph over the Oilers. He now sits atop the NHL leaderboard in goals (14) and points (29).
Team Effort Lifts Colorado
Artturi Lehkonen added two goals, one on the power play, while Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin each contributed a pair of assists. Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 29 saves in his second start of the season, anchoring the team through key stretches.
Vancouver’s Response
For the Canucks, Linus Karlsson, Kiefer Sherwood, Jake DeBrusk, and Drew O’Connor found the back of the net. Kevin Lankinen faced 27 shots in the losing effort.
Memorable Opening Goal
At 6:41 of the period, Cale Makar glided through the neutral zone and into the right circle before slipping the puck to Valeri Nichushkin. Nichushkin faked the shot, pulled the puck across the slot, freezing the defense just long enough for MacKinnon to unleash a one-timer into an open net, giving Colorado a 1–0 lead.
Power Play Precision
Only moments later, after Ross Colton drew a slashing penalty, the Avalanche capitalized again on the power play to build momentum early in the matchup.
Author’s summary: Colorado ended their overtime losing streak as MacKinnon’s dominant five-point night and Brindley’s overtime heroics sealed a dramatic 5–4 road win over Vancouver.