Nathan MacKinnon enters the regular season finale with an NHL-leading 53 goals as the Colorado Avalanche host the Seattle Kraken, looking to carry momentum into the playoffs.
DENVER — With the postseason looming, the Colorado Avalanche get one final tune-up Thursday night—though there’s more at stake than a routine regular season finale.
The Avalanche close out their 2025–26 regular season against the Seattle Kraken at Ball Arena, a game that doubles as Fan Appreciation Night but carries a sharper edge than the branding suggests. Colorado has already handled Seattle twice this season—5–3 in December and 5–1 in March—and enters the finale looking every bit like a team tightening the screws ahead of the postseason.
MacKinnon Closing In On Rocket Richard
Nathan MacKinnon isn’t just finishing another elite season—he’s on the brink of something new. His 53 goals lead the NHL, putting him in position to capture his first Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s top goal scorer. For a player whose résumé already includes MVP-level campaigns and a Stanley Cup, this would mark a notable addition—proof that even now, his game continues to evolve.
MacKinnon’s production doesn’t stop at finishing. He sits at 127 points and 74 assists, underscoring his role as the offensive engine behind a Colorado team that has blended star power with structure all season long.
That structure was evident Tuesday in Calgary. Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 30 of 31 shots, while Martin Nečas reached the 100-point mark in a composed 3–1 win over the Flames. Artturi Lehkonen and Gabriel Landeskog supplied timely goals, and Cale Makar—back in the lineup—quietly dictated play with three assists. It wasn’t flashy. It didn’t need to be. Colorado controlled the game in layers, the kind of performance that tends to translate in late April and beyond.
Kraken Searching For Answers Late
Seattle arrives in Denver on the second half of a back-to-back after a 4–1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, a game that slipped away quickly in the third period. The Kraken have shown flashes offensively this season but have struggled to sustain pressure against top-tier opponents—something Colorado exploited in both prior meetings.
Jordan Eberle continues to lead Seattle with 55 points, while Bobby McMann has emerged as their top goal scorer with 29. Chandler Stephenson remains a steady playmaker, but the group as a whole has lacked the defensive consistency needed to slow high-powered teams.
That’s where this matchup tilts heavily in Colorado’s favor. The Avalanche own the league’s best team save percentage (.908), have allowed just four third-period goals in April, and carry a +35 goal differential in first periods—an early-game dominance that often forces opponents into uncomfortable, chase-mode hockey.
History supports the trend. Colorado is 10-3-1 against Seattle all-time, with MacKinnon alone piling up 23 regular-season points in the matchup.
Thursday won’t change the standings much, but it will offer one last snapshot of who the Avalanche are heading into the playoffs: a team driven by elite talent, reinforced by structure, and anchored by a star chasing one more piece of hardware before, as MacKinnon put it on Altitude Sports Radio, “the real fun” begins.
However, there is the possibility that a multitude of Avalanche stars, including MacKinnon, will take this game off to rest up for the postseason.
