Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon reached third all-time in franchise goals with his 381st career tally during a 5-4 overtime victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 9. The performance contributed to MacKinnon's selection as the NHL's first star of the week, where he recorded 4 goals and 6 assists in three games. His efforts helped the league-leading Avalanche maintain their strong start to the 2025-26 season.
Nathan MacKinnon continued his dominant play by scoring twice in the first period during the Colorado Avalanche's 5-4 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 9, pushing his career goal total to 381 and surpassing Peter Šťastný for third place in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history. The 30-year-old, selected first overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, achieved the milestone in his 886th game, behind only Joe Sakic (625) and Michel Goulet (456). MacKinnon added three assists in the game, including one on Gavin Brindley's overtime winner, marking his 11th career five-point effort.
The week capped a remarkable stretch for MacKinnon, who tallied 4-6—10 points across three contests. On Nov. 4, he recorded one assist in a 3-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He followed with 2 goals and 2 assists in a 9-1 rout of the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 8. These performances earned him the NHL's first star honors for the week ending Nov. 9, ahead of Chicago's Connor Bedard and Anaheim's Leo Carlsson.
Through 16 games this season, MacKinnon leads the NHL with 14 goals and 29 points, sitting at plus-13 with 5 power-play goals and a nine-game point streak (8-11—19). He tops league charts in even-strength points (21), shots on goal (71), and ranks high in plus/minus (t-3rd, +13). The Avalanche sit at 10-1-5 with 25 points, leading the Central Division by four points over the Dallas Stars and two points ahead of the Anaheim Ducks for the Presidents' Trophy.
MacKinnon's pace projects to 138 points, close to his 140-point 2023-24 season, further solidifying his place among Avalanche legends like Sakic, Patrick Roy, and Milan Hejduk.
