The Avalanche rolled into a snowy Toronto for a matinee and left having buried the Maple Leafs under an avalanche of their own.
Brock Nelson was the clear headliner. He recorded a hat trick, scoring twice in the first period and sealing the deal with an empty-netter late.
Nelson now has 13 points over his last 10 games, continuing to provide reliable secondary scoring while capitalizing on his current momentum.
Through 50 games with Colorado, Nelson sits at 27 goals and 42 points, good for a 70-point pace. That output mirrors his best seasons on Long Island.
Nelson is playing just over 19 minutes TOI and his shot volume remains steady at 2.3 shots per game, and his 7.2 shots per 60 minutes at 5v5 aligns closely with his career average the Avalanche consistently control play with Nelson on the ice. Shot and chance shares are strong across multiple line combinations, particularly when he is paired with heavier, puck-retrieving wingers. Whether it is Valeri Nichushkin, Gabriel Landeskog, Ross Colton, or Artturi Lehkonen alongside him, the results have been positive. That adaptability is a meaningful signal as Nelson’s offense is not tied to one specific linemate or fragile deployment scenario.
The primary yellow flag is the 23.3 S% which is clearly well above his 14.8% career average and also higher than even his most efficient scoring in 2021-2022. At 5v5 his S% is closer to 10%, which is far more reasonable which suggests some regression is likely, particularly in the goal column, as we head down the stretch.
That said, the downside is somewhat capped. His shot volume, ice time, and IPP remain in line with his historical profile, which reduced the risk of a sharp drop-off. Even if his shooting luck cools, the framework supporting his production remains intact. On the power play, Nelson has already recorded 11 power-play points while seeing just over half of Colorado’s available man-advantage time, regardless of the unit’s inconsistent PP results as of late.
Bottom line, Nelson’s scoring pace is mostly legitimate. The role is stable, the underlying play is strong, and the production is repeatable. A modest dip in goal scoring is the only real concern. You are not prying Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, or Martin Necas away from anyone, but Nelson remains a realistic and appealing trade target who can quietly bolster a fantasy roster down the stretch.
Cale Makar, Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen, and Nathan MacKinnon all picked up assists, continuing to drive Colorado’s offense in the win.
Mackenzie Blackwood turned in a strong bounce-back performance, stopping 32 shots in regulation after allowing 11 goals over his previous two starts.
Max Domi scored the Leafs’ lone goal, continuing to provide secondary offense behind Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
The loss extended a rough stretch for Toronto, who now have a recorded of 1-4-3 in their last eight and have struggled to find consistency against top-tier competition, being Utah, Vegas (twice), Minnesota, Detroit, and Colorado, with their lone win coming against Winnipeg.
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Dougie Hamilton had a big night with a goal and an assist, bringing him to eight points in his last nine games. His recent surge obviously raises his trade value, and with Luke Hughes out, his role and impact are even more pronounced. The stretch of games leading into the Olympic break will be key for Devils management in deciding whether to move him or hold tight.
Jack Hughes contributed a power-play goal and an assist, ending a 15-game goal drought that had stretched back to December 21st.
Connor Brown assisted on both Devils goals.
Matty Beniers played his 300th NHL game and did so in scoring his 12th of the season.
Jordan Eberle was Seattle’s only multi-point player on the night, recording a goal and an assist. He has been a reliable contributor for the Kraken all season and has become a must-own option for fantasy managers.
We cannot really say the same for Jakob Markstrom who has not been consistent at all this season and faced a lessor workload than Joey Daccord facing only 18 shots and allowing three in the loss.
Daccord on the other hand had a strong outing with a 27-save performance especially after a recent stretch where Seattle struggled wining only three of their last 10 games.
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Linus Ullmark was back on the bench but did not start in the Ottawa Senators dismantling of the Vegas Golden Knights. That is a good sign for Ottawa that Ullmark is back, it is only a matter of time we see him back in the starters net.
This game was all Ottawa as the Senators saw multi-goal performances from Dylan Cozens and Stephan Halliday.
Brady Tkachuk powered the offense with three assists, pushing him to 11 points over his last seven games.
Mads Sogaard faced very limited danger but was sharp when needed, stopping 19 of 20 shots and posting a .950 SV%.
Fabian Zetterlund also added his 12th goal of the season and Tomas Chabot registered two assists on the win.
For Vegas, it was a rare quiet night for their stars. Jack Eichel and Mark Stone saw their 11- and 14-game point streaks snapped, respectively.
Rasmus Andersson scored the lone goal for the Golden Knights late, breaking up Søgaard’s shutout bid but doing little to change the outcome.
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Vancouver’s struggles show no signs of letting up, keeping them anchored near the bottom of the league. With almost every name on the Canucks roster rumored to be available, it’ll be interesting to see who moves at the trade deadline.
Pittsburgh was not about to make things easy, especially Ben Kindel who scored twice.
Evgeni Malkin added a goal for insurance, and that was all the Penguins needed to secure the win.
Malkin continues his hot stretch, racking up 11 points in 10 games since returning from injury on January 10.
Don’t look now, but Stuart Skinner looks to be on a hot streak. A few weeks back I spoke on Skinner being a waiver wire option at best and how long he could keep his hot streak going. Well, his hot steak has continued since as he has now posted seven wins with six quality starts over his last eight games. So it got me thinking, why is Skinner playing better in Pittsburgh than he did in Edmonton.
Well, although Edmonton did a solid job suppressing overall shot volume, the chances they allowed were frequently high quality. Instead of forcing opponents to the perimeter or settling for point shots, breakdowns tended to come through the middle of the ice.
The Penguins tend to protect the middle of the ice more effectively, steering play toward the boards and funneling shots from less dangerous areas. Even if the raw shot totals end up similar, the quality of those shots is not. More perimeter attempts and points shots mean a cleaner xGA profile, which naturally helps a goalie’s SV% and overall results.
There’s also a usage and expectation shift to take note of. With the Oilers, Skinner was pushed into stretches where he had to be “the guy” behind an offense-first roster. In Pittsburgh, he is being ask to “hold the fort” and not have to steal games nightly. That shift matters. His strongest NHL stretches have always come when his workload was managed and his role clearly defined.
Skinner didn’t suddenly turn into a different goalie overnight. The Penguins have simply removed many of the conditions that consistently hurt him in Edmonton. Fewer chaotic rush chances, less rebound chaos, and more predictable defensive coverage all add up. There’s also a mental component that should not be ignored. Edmonton is a true hockey pressure cooker, where every mistake is magnified. Pittsburgh is still a strong hockey market, but the spotlight and finger-pointing are less intense, which can matter for a goalie’s confidence and consistency.
That’s my read on the situation. Take it for what it’s worth, but in the right setup, Skinner could be a viable option. If you are thin in goal and he is available on your wavier wire, he is a reasonable add who can give you usable results in the right matchups.
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Tobias Bjornfot scored twice for the Panthers, recording his first multi-goal game of the season. Before last night’s performance against Chicago, he had just one goal in 138 career NHL games.
Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist while Sam Reinhart added an empty-net goal, extending his point total to 50 points on the season and nearly a PPG pace.
Evan Rodrigues and Gustav Forsling each notched two assists, helping Florida secure their third straight win and six in their last eight games.
Chicago’s lone goal came from Tyler Bertuzzi, who scored his 25th of the season. This marks his third consecutive 20+ goal season, and he is on pace for a 65-point campaign.
Daniil Tarasov (FLA) earned the win, stopping 19 of 20 shots and has four wins in his last four starts for the Panthers.
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Beckett Sennecke had a monster night, becoming the third-fastest rookie in Ducks history to 40 points, trailing only Bobby Ryan and former active Duck Trevor Zegras. He also became the rookie goals leader with 18 on the season and notched his first career hat trick.
Jackson LaCombe picked up an assist on Sennecke’s overtime winner, contributing to the Ducks’ big finish.
Mikael Granlund and Alex Killorn each recorded two assists. Granlund has seven points over his last 10 games and sits at 24 points in 34 games on the season.
Despite leading in shots 35 to 21, the Flames came up short. Dustin Wolf faced just 21 shots but allowed four goals and has been clearly struggling compared to last year when he was a Calder finalist.
Hunter Brzustewicz returned to the lineup and scored his first goal of the season.
Jonathan Huberdeau and Matt Coronato both found the back of the net for Calgary, with Coronato also adding an assist.
Potential trade target Nazem Kadri posted an assist in what has been a down year. He’s on pace for 55 points, the lowest projection since joining Calgary.
Thanks for reading! See you next week! For more fantasy hockey content and analysis, follow me on X @Punters_hockey. If you have any questions about your team or a trade? My DMs are always open, happy to help!