Brock Nelson scored a hat trick, including two quick goals in the first period, to power the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-1 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. The win improves Colorado's record to 35-6-9 and starts their road trip on a strong note. Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves in net for the Avalanche.
The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 at Scotiabank Arena on January 25, 2026, in a matchup that served as the second and final regular-season meeting between the teams. Colorado entered the game with a 34-6-9 record after a 7-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, while Toronto stood at 24-18-9 following a 6-3 defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights the same night. The Avalanche previously lost 4-3 in overtime to Toronto on January 12 in Denver.
Nelson, who will represent Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, opened the scoring at 6:19 of the first period with his 25th goal of the season, firing from the right circle after collecting a puck in the neutral zone. Just 1:12 later, at 7:31, he added his second on a one-timer from Artturi Lehkonen near the goal line, making it 2-0. Jack Drury extended the lead to 3-0 at 18:53 of the second period with his eighth goal, shooting from the left circle off a pass from Parker Kelly.
Blackwood preserved the shutout until late, including a key sprawling pad save on Matias Maccelli's rebound in the third period. He finished with 32 saves, rebounding from allowing 11 goals in his prior two starts. Nelson completed his fifth career hat trick—and first since March 19, 2022—with an empty-net goal at 17:41, his 27th of the season. Max Domi scored Toronto's lone goal at 18:58 on a power play, stuffing in a loose puck. Joseph Woll made 33 saves for the Maple Leafs.
"If I knew how to bottle it up [I would], but I think it’s just trying to just play, not really think about it too much," Nelson said of his 13 goals in 13 games. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar praised the team's defensive effort: "I liked our defending details tonight. The commitment to play the right way without the puck... it was a really good effort."
Toronto captain Auston Matthews emphasized unity after the loss, their fourth straight at home (0-3-1) and part of a 1-4-2 stretch since the January 12 win. The Maple Leafs have lost four in a row overall. Colorado became the fourth team in NHL history with six or fewer regulation losses through 50 games. Nelson's first two goals were the second-fastest pair by an Avalanche player this season.
The Avalanche continue their four-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.
