Snowed Under: Colorado Avalanche Bury Florida Panthers

Things did not get off to a great start in Denver on Thursday night for the Florida Panthers — and the Colorado Avalanche simply did not let off the gas.

Florida, playing the second half of a back-to-back in the Rocky Mountain air, simply did not have the legs to keep up with the high-flying Avalanche in a 6-2 loss.

Paul Maurice was pretty succinct when he was asked about what he will take out of Thursday’s loss: “I won’t look at this game again.’’

The Panthers saw their three-game winning streak and four-game point streak (3-0-1) come to a crashing end.

Florida beat the Utah Mammoth 4-3 the night before.

Colorado came out flying, scoring 74 seconds into the game and had a 9-1 shot advantage before Noah Gregor tied the score with his first goal with the Panthers.

The Avalanche led 2-1 going into the second period and blew the doors off this one with three more goals.

Colorado appeared to get a fourth in the second but a successful challenge pulled it down for offside; video got the Panthers back when Eetu Luostarinen’s goal in the third was waved off for kicking.

The Avalanche got its sixth goal soon afterward — but Daniil Tarasov kept Nathan MacKinnon from getting No. 7 when he stopped him on a penalty shot with 5:02 left.

Florida’s four-game road trip continues Saturday in Dallas.

NOTEBOOK: PANTHERS at AVALANCHE

• A.J. Greer left the game late in the third after taking contact on his way to the boards. He did not return.
• Think the schedule was tough before? Thursday started a run of The 10 straight games against teams that made the 2025 playoffs. According to NHL Stats, the only reigning Stanley Cup champions over the past 30 years with a stretch of as many contests are the Capitals in 2019, and the Red Wings in 1998.
• The Avalanche held a 30-year reunion for the 1996 Stanley Cup champions on Wednesday and those players and/or surviving family members were honored before the game. The Stanley Cup was in the building. The Avalanche, of course, won that championship by sweeping the expansion Panthers — and winning Game 4 in triple OT at Miami Arena.
• Colorado (22-2-7, 51 points) is the sixth team in the past 20 years with 50 points in 31 games or fewer. Of the first five, only the 2013 Blackhawks and 2007 Ducks won the Stanley Cup.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Avalanche 1, Panthers 0 (1:14 1st): Sam Malinski opens the scoring by joining the rush late off the bench and landing a shot from the right circle.
• Panthers 1, Avalanche 1 (7:21 1st): Noah Gregor gets his first with the Panthers after outskating a pair of Colorado defenders and going high on Mackenzie Blackwood.
• Avalanche 2, Panthers 1 (18:30 1st): Brock Nelson gets to a loose puck and pushes it past Daniil Tarasov.
• Avalanche 3, Panthers 1 (5:05 2nd): Gavin Brindley scores off a rebound and the rout is about to be on.
• Avalanche 4, Panthers 1 (7:18 2nd): Nathan MacKinnon sends one in off the post from the high slot.
• Avalanche 5, Panthers 1 (12:31 2nd): Artturi Lehkonen scores off the rush.
• Avalanche 6, Panthers 1 (6:18 3rd): Gabriel Landeskog gets in on the fun, finding a rebound in front of Tarasov.
• Avalanche 6, Panthers 2 (13:08 3rd): Mackie Samoskevich scores on the rush off a cross-ice pass from A.J. Greer.

FHN’S 3 STARS

• 1. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche
• 2. Gavin Brindley, Avalanche
• 3. Brock Nelson, Avalanche

ON DECK: GAME 31

FLORIDA PANTHERS at DALLAS STARS 

• When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
• Where: American Airlines Arena, Dallas
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (Naples/FTM)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Florida won 2-0
• This Season (Panthers Lead 1-0) — At Florida: Panthers 4, Stars 3 (Nov. 1). At Dallas: Saturday.
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 29-21-2, 3 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Monday at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.