The Colorado Avalanche delivered a ruthless 7-3 dismantling of the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, leaving the hosts as the NHL’s sole winless side through four games. Cale Makar orchestrated the destruction with two goals and an assist, while Devon Toews and Jaden Schwartz each netted braces as Colorado responded emphatically to their Wednesday setback in Winnipeg.
Makar leads the charge in Denver’s dominant display
Nathan MacKinnon added a goal and two helpers as the Avalanche improved to 3-1-0, their offence clicking into gear after a sluggish opening frame. The game was deadlocked at 1-1 after twenty minutes, but Colorado shifted gears decisively in the middle period. Three goals in under five minutes — sparked by a screened Devon Toews wrist shot from the point that eluded Devin Cooley — swung the momentum irrevocably.
Two more strikes early in the third period effectively ended the contest as a spectacle. Schwartz’s second of the night came courtesy of a fortunate deflection off Jake Middleton’s skate, but the scoreboard told a story of total control. Scott Wedgewood marked his 200th NHL appearance with 26 saves in a relatively untroubled evening.
Flames’ historic futility deepens in Saddledome
For Calgary, the nightmare start to the campaign continues. The Flames have now been outscored 23-6, a league-worst minus-17 goal differential that lays bare the scale of the rebuild confronting general manager Craig Conroy. Adam Klapka, Mikael Backlund and Kevin Bahl provided the only resistance on the scoresheet, but the scoreline flattered a side that looked overmatched for long stretches.
Rookie forwards Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna made their season debuts, with Castagna registering an assist in his first NHL shift — a solitary bright spot in an otherwise bleak evening. The organisation will hope the youngsters can inject some vitality ahead of Saturday’s visit from the Anaheim Ducks.
Personal tragedy casts shadow over Avalanche bench
The victory came amid sombre circumstances for Colorado. Logan O’Connor was granted a personal leave of absence hours before puck drop following the death of his father, Myles O’Connor, at the age of 59. The elder O’Connor, a former NHL defenceman who played for the New Jersey Devils and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the early 1990s, passed away on Thursday. The team did not disclose a cause of death.
Burns climbs the all-time defencemen rankings
Amid the goal rush, a quiet milestone went largely unheralded. Brent Burns collected an assist to reach 948 career points (274 goals, 674 assists), moving the 41-year-old level with Chris Chelios for tenth place on the NHL’s all-time scoring list for defencemen. The veteran blueliner continues to defy Father Time, his longevity and production a testament to remarkable conditioning and hockey sense.
The Avalanche now turn their attention to a Saturday showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs at Ball Arena, while the Flames face a desperate need for points against the Ducks. Calgary’s next opportunity to avoid an 0-5-0 start arrives in front of a home crowd that is rapidly losing patience.
Why it Matters
Calgary’s winless start represents more than a poor run of form; it signals a potential crisis of confidence for a franchise in transition. With a goal differential that ranks among the worst in modern NHL history through four games, the Flames risk the season slipping away before October ends. For Colorado, the response to adversity — a blowout loss in Winnipeg followed by a clinical offensive explosion — underscores their championship pedigree. The Avalanche possess the rare ability to flip a switch, and Makar’s brilliance remains the ultimate equaliser in any contest.
