Colorado AvalancheCOL 5–3 Final Carolina HurricanesCAR

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Final 1st2nd3rd T SOG
Colorado AvalancheCOL 014 5 34
Carolina HurricanesCAR 120 3 28

No impact calculated for this game. Impacts are calculated for games in the next 7 days.

Highlights

Scoring

1st Period
18:09 CAR Sebastian Aho (17)SH Eric Robinson (4) · backhand xG 0.19 0–1 ▶
2nd Period
1:47 COL Gabriel Landeskog (7) Nathan MacKinnon (37), Martin Necas (33) · wrap-around xG 0.08 1–1 ▶
4:47 CAR Nikolaj Ehlers (10)PP Taylor Hall (11), Logan Stankoven (11) · snap xG 0.19 1–2 ▶
7:50 CAR Andrei Svechnikov (12) Sebastian Aho (25), K'Andre Miller (14) · backhand xG 0.20 1–3 ▶
3rd Period
1:09 COL Brock Nelson (17)PP Nathan MacKinnon (38), Cale Makar (34) · tip-in xG 0.49 2–3 ▶
1:42 COL Jack Drury (7) Ross Colton (11) · snap xG 0.17 3–3 ▶
7:30 COL Brock Nelson (18)PP Nathan MacKinnon (39), Cale Makar (35) · snap xG 0.08 4–3 ▶
19:42 COL Nathan MacKinnon (35)EN Martin Necas (34), Artturi Lehkonen (19) · xG 0.99 5–3 ▶

Score away–home after each goal; season totals in parentheses.

Shot quality

Expected goals (xG) rate every unblocked shot by how often shots like it go in, from where it was taken, the shot type, the strength and what happened just before it. How it works

COL 68%Deserve to win32% CAR
COLCAR
5.80Expected goals3.56
5Goals (no shootout)3
2.71Expected goals, 5 on 52.38
66Shot attempts56
50Unblocked attempts45
34Shots on goal28

Game notes

What stood out as the game went on, from the play-by-play and the shifts. Time on the bench is counted in 5-on-5 play outside the penalty box; the note says the player sat, not why. Goals saved are against the shots' expected goals (xG).

1st Period
12:58 CAR Deserve to win Deserve to win · CAR takes the lead, 62–38%
COL had led since 1:40 of the 1st, by as much as 72%
2nd Period
0:17 CAR Goalie Goalie · Andersen +2.0 goals saved
0 goals on 2.05 xG, 16 shots on goal
3rd Period
1:09 COL Deserve to win Deserve to win · COL takes the lead, 65–35%
CAR had led since 12:58 of the 1st, by as much as 65%
1:10 COL xG swing xG swing · Out-chanced CAR 1.49–0.19
In xG over 10 minutes, 13:00 of the 2nd to 3:00 of the 3rd; goals 2–0

Shot map

COL shoots ←Bigger circle: higher xG; filled: goal→ CAR shoots
Brock Nelson: snap, 6 ft, xG 0.32 (P1 1:40) Brock Nelson: backhand, 6 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 1:41) Ross Colton: snap, 21 ft, xG 0.16 (P1 2:27) Taylor Hall: snap, 31 ft, xG 0.03 (P1 3:04) Sebastian Aho: tip-in, 20 ft, xG 0.03 (P1 3:09) Sebastian Aho: snap, 9 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 3:10) K'Andre Miller: snap, 53 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 3:13) Andrei Svechnikov: snap, 9 ft, xG 0.29 (P1 3:35) Gabriel Landeskog: snap, 18 ft, xG 0.19 (P1 6:44) Nikolaj Ehlers: snap, 33 ft, xG 0.10 (P1 7:06) Brock Nelson: snap, 33 ft, xG 0.03 (P1 9:03) Andrei Svechnikov: snap, 18 ft, xG 0.18 (P1 9:31) Devon Toews: snap, 37 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 9:41) Andrei Svechnikov: snap, 34 ft, xG 0.10 (P1 9:49) Sebastian Aho: snap, 21 ft, xG 0.17 (P1 9:53) Sebastian Aho: snap, 27 ft, xG 0.12 (P1 10:33) William Carrier: wrist, 59 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 10:47) Alexander Nikishin: snap, 53 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 10:53) Victor Olofsson: wrist, 25 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 11:00) Josh Manson: wrist, 64 ft, xG 0.00 (P1 11:02) Victor Olofsson: snap, 18 ft, xG 0.11 (P1 11:11) Andrei Svechnikov: snap, 10 ft, xG 0.20 (P1 12:44) Sebastian Aho: deflected, 9 ft, xG 0.13 (P1 12:58) Jackson Blake: backhand, 11 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 12:59) Shayne Gostisbehere: slap, 47 ft, xG 0.06 (P1 13:18) Alexander Nikishin: slap, 61 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 14:05) Sean Walker: snap, 62 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 14:12) Taylor Makar: wrist, 13 ft, xG 0.14 (P1 16:14) Victor Olofsson: snap, 48 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 16:30) Nathan MacKinnon: wrist, 29 ft, xG 0.11 (P1 16:59) Brock Nelson: slap, 40 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 17:25) Artturi Lehkonen: wrist, 5 ft, xG 0.24 (P1 17:34) Artturi Lehkonen: wrist, 8 ft, xG 0.30 (P1 17:36) Brent Burns: snap, 60 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 18:55) Brent Burns: snap, 60 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 18:59) Josh Manson: snap, 13 ft, xG 0.20 (P2 0:17) Cale Makar: snap, 43 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 0:45) Sam Malinski: wrist, 53 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 1:30) Sam Malinski: wrist, 67 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 2:17) Jackson Blake: wrist, 8 ft, xG 0.13 (P2 3:21) Sebastian Aho: snap, 46 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 3:35) Logan Stankoven: backhand, 7 ft, xG 0.12 (P2 4:31) Sean Walker: snap, 9 ft, xG 0.06 (P2 4:32) Andrei Svechnikov: slap, 39 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 5:36) Jordan Martinook: snap, 6 ft, xG 0.23 (P2 5:57) Sean Walker: snap, 52 ft, xG 0.03 (P2 6:01) Jordan Staal: snap, 40 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 6:13) Valeri Nichushkin: wrist, 21 ft, xG 0.09 (P2 6:54) Ross Colton: wrist, 50 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 7:29) Victor Olofsson: tip-in, 9 ft, xG 0.08 (P2 7:34) Samuel Girard: wrist, 58 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 8:58) Artturi Lehkonen: snap, 9 ft, xG 0.18 (P2 9:57) Artturi Lehkonen: snap, 6 ft, xG 0.06 (P2 9:58) Nathan MacKinnon: wrist, 41 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 10:02) Sean Walker: slap, 162 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 12:55) K'Andre Miller: snap, 34 ft, xG 0.03 (P2 13:43) Nathan MacKinnon: snap, 28 ft, xG 0.18 (P2 13:56) William Carrier: snap, 5 ft, xG 0.16 (P2 15:17) Cale Makar: snap, 33 ft, xG 0.14 (P2 16:25) Valeri Nichushkin: snap, 34 ft, xG 0.17 (P2 19:12) Valeri Nichushkin: snap, 26 ft, xG 0.12 (P3 0:37) Brock Nelson: wrist, 8 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 0:38) Valeri Nichushkin: wrist, 5 ft, xG 0.16 (P3 0:40) Jordan Martinook: tip-in, 11 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 3:04) Sebastian Aho: deflected, 4 ft, xG 0.15 (P3 3:37) Martin Necas: snap, 46 ft, xG 0.00 (P3 4:05) Artturi Lehkonen: wrist, 42 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 5:27) Martin Necas: slap, 38 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 6:34) Cale Makar: wrist, 50 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 6:45) Josh Manson: snap, 9 ft, xG 0.11 (P3 9:09) Martin Necas: wrist, 10 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 9:10) Jordan Martinook: snap, 41 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 9:20) Cale Makar: snap, 59 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 9:39) Jordan Martinook: wrist, 66 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 10:01) Jordan Staal: snap, 29 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 10:19) Jalen Chatfield: snap, 47 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 10:39) Ross Colton: wrist, 12 ft, xG 0.15 (P3 11:02) Gabriel Landeskog: tip-in, 13 ft, xG 0.09 (P3 11:41) Jalen Chatfield: snap, 49 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 12:16) Artturi Lehkonen: tip-in, 12 ft, xG 0.07 (P3 13:42) Sebastian Aho: backhand, 13 ft, xG 0.12 (P3 14:27) William Carrier: backhand, 26 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 15:35) Jesperi Kotkaniemi: bat, 7 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 15:36) Ross Colton: snap, 47 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 15:45) Jordan Martinook: wrist, 58 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 16:35) Shayne Gostisbehere: backhand, 48 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 16:44) Logan Stankoven: backhand, 15 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 16:45) Sebastian Aho: GOAL, backhand, 9 ft, xG 0.19 (P1 18:09) Gabriel Landeskog: GOAL, wrap-around, 6 ft, xG 0.08 (P2 1:47) Nikolaj Ehlers: GOAL, snap, 22 ft, xG 0.19 (P2 4:47) Andrei Svechnikov: GOAL, backhand, 7 ft, xG 0.20 (P2 7:50) Brock Nelson: GOAL, tip-in, 3 ft, xG 0.49 (P3 1:09) Jack Drury: GOAL, snap, 22 ft, xG 0.17 (P3 1:42) Brock Nelson: GOAL, snap, 35 ft, xG 0.08 (P3 7:30) Nathan MacKinnon: GOAL, shot, 12 ft, xG 0.99 (P3 19:42)
About these numbers

xG comes from hockeystats.io's own model, a gradient-boosted tree model trained on every unblocked shot from the 2021-22 to 2025-26 regular seasons using the NHL's public play-by-play. Each shot's value is the share of similar shots that became goals. A team's xG is the sum over its shots; "deserve to win" asks how often the team would outscore its opponent if every shot went in at exactly that rate. Blocked shots count as attempts but have no xG (the NHL records where they were blocked, not where they were taken), so the map leaves them out.

Box score

Colorado Avalanche

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
88 Martin Necas 022 0 40.06 4122:44
11 Brock Nelson 202 -1 71.04 1022:28
43 Valeri Nichushkin 000 0 60.54 0021:01
29 Nathan MacKinnon 134 0 41.33 2120:04
92 Gabriel Landeskog 101 0 40.36 1018:52
62 Artturi Lehkonen 011 0 60.89 2116:32
18 Jack Drury 101 +1 30.17 1215:20
95 Victor Olofsson 000 +1 50.27 0111:26
79 Ross Colton 011 +1 40.34 0010:42
17 Parker Kelly 000 0 00.00 3210:27
93 Zakhar Bardakov 000 0 00.00 0006:54
16 Taylor Makar 000 0 10.14 1005:18
Defense
8 Cale Makar 022 -1 100.23 1024:35
42 Josh Manson 000 0 30.31 1018:25
84 Brent Burns 000 +1 20.02 2018:21
49 Samuel Girard 000 +1 30.01 0117:25
7 Devon Toews 000 0 10.08 0116:49
70 Sam Malinski 000 +2 30.02 0016:45
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Scott Wedgewood 28325 .893 3.56 +0.56

Carolina Hurricanes

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
20 Sebastian Aho 112 +1 90.99 1222:11
27 Nikolaj Ehlers 101 +1 20.29 0117:42
37 Andrei Svechnikov 101 +1 61.00 2017:28
48 Jordan Martinook 000 -1 50.34 1117:17
11 Jordan Staal 000 -1 20.06 2017:00
53 Jackson Blake 000 -1 30.19 0115:47
71 Taylor Hall 011 -1 20.03 1014:51
22 Logan Stankoven 011 -1 20.13 1212:49
77 Mark Jankowski 000 -1 00.00 0111:33
82 Jesperi Kotkaniemi 000 -1 10.03 2111:15
50 Eric Robinson 011 0 00.00 1011:03
28 William Carrier 000 -1 30.18 1008:21
Defense
26 Sean Walker 000 0 60.10 1223:24
4 Shayne Gostisbehere 000 -1 30.08 1322:44
19 K'Andre Miller 011 +1 30.04 2021:46
5 Jalen Chatfield 000 0 30.06 0020:08
21 Alexander Nikishin 000 -1 50.04 1015:30
64 Joel Nystrom 000 -1 10.00 1112:56
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Frederik Andersen 34430 .882 4.80 +0.80

Skaters by time on ice. Goalie lines count shots with the goalie in net, from the NHL play-by-play.

Player ratings

What each player added to the result, in goals, from most to least. Hover a number for what it's made of.

Colorado Avalanche

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
29 Nathan MacKinnon C +3.35 +2.85 +0.86 -0.56 +0.15 +0.06 -0.01 — 20:04
11 Brock Nelson C +2.60 +1.50 +0.67 +0.39 0.00 +0.04 0.00 — 22:28
20 Ross Colton C +2.09 +0.70 +0.22 +1.01 +0.15 +0.01 0.00 — 10:42
62 Artturi Lehkonen L +1.62 +0.55 +0.58 +0.43 0.00 +0.01 +0.05 — 16:32
18 Jack Drury C +1.55 +0.75 +0.11 +0.54 0.00 +0.05 +0.10 — 15:20
13 Valeri Nichushkin R +1.08 0.00 +0.35 +0.73 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 21:01
70 Sam Malinski D +1.07 0.00 +0.01 +1.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 16:45
95 Victor Olofsson L +1.02 0.00 +0.17 +0.80 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 11:26
84 Brent Burns D +0.87 0.00 +0.02 +0.76 +0.15 0.00 -0.06 — 18:21
42 Josh Manson D +0.85 0.00 +0.20 +0.65 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 18:25
41 Scott Wedgewood G +0.56 0.00 — — 0.00 — — +0.56 60:00
49 Samuel Girard D +0.42 0.00 +0.01 +0.38 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 17:25
8 Cale Makar D +0.32 +1.10 +0.15 -0.90 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 24:35
16 Taylor Makar L +0.21 0.00 +0.09 +0.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 5:18
88 Martin Necas C +0.21 +1.25 +0.04 -1.11 0.00 0.00 +0.03 — 22:44
17 Parker Kelly C +0.19 0.00 0.00 +0.12 0.00 -0.03 +0.10 — 10:27
92 Gabriel Landeskog L +0.02 +0.75 +0.24 -1.01 0.00 +0.02 +0.02 — 18:52
93 Zakhar Bardakov C -0.03 0.00 0.00 +0.12 -0.15 0.00 0.00 — 6:54
7 Devon Toews D -0.87 0.00 +0.05 -0.97 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 16:49

Carolina Hurricanes

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
20 Sebastian Aho C +3.19 +1.45 +0.64 +0.92 +0.15 -0.03 +0.06 — 22:11
37 Andrei Svechnikov R +1.92 +0.75 +0.65 +0.69 -0.15 0.00 -0.02 — 17:28
27 Nikolaj Ehlers L +1.62 +0.75 +0.19 +0.80 -0.15 -0.02 +0.05 — 17:42
31 Frederik Andersen G +0.95 0.00 — — +0.15 — — +0.80 57:58
26 Sean Walker D +0.94 0.00 +0.07 +0.79 0.00 0.00 +0.08 — 23:24
4 Shayne Gostisbehere D +0.55 0.00 +0.05 +0.39 0.00 0.00 +0.11 — 22:44
19 K'Andre Miller D +0.55 +0.55 +0.02 +0.12 -0.15 0.00 0.00 — 21:46
71 Taylor Hall L +0.53 +0.70 +0.02 -0.20 0.00 +0.01 0.00 — 14:51
22 Logan Stankoven C +0.19 +0.55 +0.09 -0.54 0.00 -0.01 +0.10 — 12:49
50 Eric Robinson L +0.18 +0.70 0.00 -0.51 0.00 +0.01 -0.02 — 11:03
77 Mark Jankowski L -0.18 0.00 0.00 -0.22 0.00 -0.01 +0.05 — 11:33
11 Jordan Staal C -0.20 0.00 +0.04 -0.29 +0.15 -0.09 0.00 — 17:00
48 Jordan Martinook L -0.25 0.00 +0.22 -0.53 0.00 +0.01 +0.05 — 17:17
53 Jackson Blake R -0.30 0.00 +0.13 -0.30 -0.15 0.00 +0.03 — 15:47
5 Jalen Chatfield D -0.50 0.00 +0.04 -0.53 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 20:08
28 William Carrier L -0.50 0.00 +0.12 -0.45 -0.15 0.00 -0.02 — 8:21
21 Alexander Nikishin D -0.84 0.00 +0.02 -0.87 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 15:30
82 Jesperi Kotkaniemi C -0.92 0.00 +0.02 -0.92 0.00 -0.03 +0.01 — 11:15
64 Joel Nystrom D -0.93 0.00 0.00 -0.94 0.00 0.00 +0.01 — 12:56

An expected-goals take on Dom Luszczyszyn's Game Score: goals and assists, the quality of a player's own shots, shot quality for and against while they were on the ice at 5v5, penalties, faceoffs and puck plays, all in goals; goalies by goals saved above expected. From the NHL play-by-play and shift charts.