Despite getting a point, the Colorado Avalanche no doubt had a sour taste in their mouths after losing in a shootout to the Nashville Predators. The back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers stood in their way of redemption and the beginning of a new winning streak.
The Avalanche left little to the imagination in this one, starting early and running the Panthers into the ice with five unanswered goals. Let’s get into the three biggest takeaways from the Avalanche’s 6-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.
Pile It On
With the game tied 1-1 late in the first period, the Avalanche made a push. With traffic in front of the net, Brock Nelson shoveled in a backhander to give the Avalanche the 2-1 lead. He has been exceptional as the team’s second line center, providing what may have been the missing piece since Nazem Kadri left for Calgary.
That began a metaphorical avalanche of offense. Gavin Brindley, Nathan MacKinnon, and Artturi Lehkonen scored in the second period, while captain Gabriel Landeskog added his sixth of the season in the third period to put the game well out of hand.
The depth and explosive potential of this group has many thinking of 1996. This may be the deepest Avalanche team ever, capable of pouring it on no matter who the opponent is. In this one, they got goals from six different players and points from 13 players (including five multi-point performances). When you think of a deep, dominant team, Colorado has to jump to mind.
Welcome Back, Gavin Brindley!
The Avalanche don’t have a whole lot to wish for this Christmas and part of that has to do with the fact that management has made some deft trades. When Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle were shipped out in the summer for Brindley and a couple of picks, it felt like a team trying to shed salary.
Related: NHL Morning Recap – December 12, 2025
Instead, it appears they have unearthed a gem in Brindley. Back in the lineup for the first time since Nov. 20, Brindley made an immediate impact by contributing a goal and an assist in the rout of the Panthers.
With five goals and nine points through 19 games, Brindley has felt like a revelation for the bottom six. He plays with tenacity and grit that belies his 5-foot-8 frame. More importantly, he fits in with the profile of this team – fast and skilled.
Total Dominance
The Avalanche have survived plenty of games this season – and lost plenty of them at the last minute as well – but the way in which they dominate teams is what stands out most. They don’t simply beat teams, they embarrass them.
Granted, the Panthers are missing Aleksander Barkov, Tomas Nosek, and Matthew Tkachuk – significant pieces to the team – but they are still the back-to-back defending champs. The Avalanche wiped the floor with them like they were just another game on the schedule.
When the Avalanche are clicking, they don’t have a single weakness. They are deep, have one of the best cores in the league, and have maybe the best goaltending tandem in hockey as well. Good luck to just about any opponent hoping to topple them.
A Show of Force by the Avalanche
Coming off a loss to the Predators, it would have been all too easy to just come into this game and gut out a win. Instead, they came out and rocked the defending champs, burying them before they had a real chance to be in the game.
The Avalanche are leading the NHL in goals for per game and goals against per game by a significant margin. They have points in an incredible 29 of 31 games. When all is said and done, we may very well be talking about the 2025-26 Colorado Avalanche with some of the all-time great teams.
