INSTANT REACTION: Avs earn their 14th straight win at home, taking care of the LA Kings 5-2

The Avs can’t be stopped. That’s what I’m coming to understand more and more as they increase their home win streak to 14 with a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Jack Drury managed to get things going at Ball Arena with his first goal since 12/13 against the Nashville Predators, and his sixth goal of the season. With that being the lone goal, the Avs went into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.

The second period is where things started to get interesting. The Avs’ penalty kill, the best in the league heading into this game, yielded a goal via Corey Perry with four seconds remaining on the holding penalty assessed to Parker Kelly.

The Avs jumped back in front after the halfway mark of the period, though, with a cleanup goal from Martin Necas. Brock Nelson cushioned the lead with a heck of a snipe that soared through Anton Forsberg with ease to bring them into the final frame with a 3-1 lead.

The third period saw a goal from each team, Joel Armia with a push to cut the Avs’ lead down, but it doesn’t amount to much thanks to a Nathan MacKinnon empty-net goal to make it 4-2.

Cale Makar adds another goal on Forsberg to make it 5-2, where things ended for the night.

Nathan MacKinnon’s shooting slump?

It’s hard not to be happy with the product that Nathan MacKinnon has dedicated himself to this season. With an assist tonight, MacKinnon sits second leaguewide in points with 65 (31g/34a). Despite the commanding lead he has on everyone but Connor McDavid, and registering a point, he didn’t make much of an individual offensive push tonight.

Martin Necas has led the Colorado Avalanche so far through two periods with four shots on goal.

Through those two periods, Nathan MacKinnon has registered zero.

— Bailey Curtis (@baileyycurtis) December 30, 2025

Again, I’ll harp on the fact that MacKinnon has been on an out-of-this-world pace this season, so calling this a slump may seem strange… But given the standard he’s set for himself, watching him skate through over 50 minutes of hockey without a single shot on net is also strange for a guy like him.

His first shot led to an empty-net goal to give them a two-goal lead with 1:37 remaining in regulation.

Mandatory special teams check-in

Here’s how this matchup was squared up heading into tonight:

Kings

• Power play: 13.9% (31st)
• Penalty kill: 77.6% (23rd)

Avs

• Power play: 16.0% (26th)
• Penalty kill: 85.8% (1st)

The Kings found the upper hand in the special teams battle, breaking Mackenzie Blackwood‘s no-goal night with just four seconds remaining on their power play, thanks to Corey Perry.

Avs postgame pod