The biggest theme of this NHL season is parity, but the Colorado Avalanche has declined its invitation to that party.
Colorado is bulldozing its way through the early-season schedule with historical might. The Avs became the third team in league history to reach 23 games played with no more than one regulation loss Wednesday night, a 6-0 drubbing of the rapidly-improving San Jose Sharks that put all of the Avs’ strengths on display.
The stars were sensational. The depth was overwhelming. The goaltending and the penalty kill were impenetrable. The commitment to collecting a third straight shutout was immense, even with the lopsided score.
“This team, for as offensive as we are, they take pride in the D-zone,” Avs goalie Mackenzie Blackwood said. “Guys care and it matters to them. They don’t like getting scored on almost more than they like to score goals.”
While the Dallas Stars are trying to keep pace with Colorado and sit just five points behind, the gap between the third-best team in the NHL and the 30th best is only eight points. Every team but three is within five points of a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the Avs have shown that a team with arguably the best collection of offensive weapons in the league being laser-focused on defense is a truly scary development. It’s led to a level of statistical dominance rarely seen in the NHL.
Here are some of the numbers that show just how dominant the Avs have been, beyond their league-best 17-1-5 record.
NOTE: We’are using actual goals scored and allowed for goal differential, not the number in the official NHL standings, which includes a “goal” awarded for shootout wins and losses. All advanced stats are from Natural Stat Trick.
1. Colorado’s actual goal differential is plus-46, which is the second-highest through 23 games in the NHL since the franchise moved to Denver. Only the Ottawa Senators in 2005-06, playing with the “new NHL” rules after a season-long lockout that led to some statistical oddities, have been better.
2. Dallas and Washington are tied for second in goal differential at plus-16. The gap between Colorado and second place (30) is bigger than the gap between second and 27th place, which is the Sharks at minus-10.
3. Colorado’s goal differential is better than the other five teams in the league with at least 30 points combined.
4. If we only included the Avs’ results from the past 14 days, they would have the best goal differential in the NHL (plus-19 in six games).
5. The Avs have scored the most goals (94) and allowed the fewest (48) in the league. They have scored 11 more than anyone else and yielded nine fewer. The last team to lead the league in both goals scored and fewest goals allowed over a full season was the Vancouver Canucks in 2010-11, and before that it was the Montreal Canadiens in 1977-78.
6. Colorado has won 11 games by three or more goals. Washington has eight wins of three-plus, and no other team has more than six.
7. The Avs have allowed one goal or less in 11 games. Washington has done it nine times, and no other club has more than seven.
8. Colorado has scored 79 goals at even strength, which is the most through 23 games in the NHL since Montreal had 82 in the 1992-93 season.
9. Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL in goals (18) and points (39). Cale Makar leads all defensemen in points (30) and is tied for the most goals (9).
10. There are 10 players in the NHL with 30 or more points. Three of them play for the Avs. No other team has more than one.
11. Colorado leads the NHL in team save percentage (.920). The Avs were last in team save percentage (.858) on Nov. 27, 2024. They traded for Scott Wedgewood three days later.
12. Wedgewood leads the NHL with 13 wins. Blackwood leads all goaltenders with five-plus games played in save percentage (.928).
13. The Avs have allowed the fewest power-play goals while at 4-on-5 in the league (7). They are allowing 3.45 goals per 60 minutes while at 4-on-5, which is nearly a full goal less than anyone else.
14. Colorado leads the NHL in expected goals for percentage (xGF%), scoring chances for percentage (SCF%) and high-danger scoring chances for percentage (HDCF%) at 5-on-5.
15. The Avs are creating 35.59 scoring chances per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. That is 3.17 more than any other team in the NHL.
DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 26: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche advances the puck against Alexander Wennberg #21 of the San Jose Sharks in the second period at Ball Arena on November 26, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
16. Colorado leads the league with 10 goals scored into an empty net. But, the Avs are also the only team in the NHL that has not allowed a goal when the other team has six skaters and no goalie on the ice. They have spent the second-most time facing six skaters (19:29)
17. The Avs are also the only team in the league that has not allowed an empty-net goal. Colorado has one 6-on-5 goal (at Boston).
18. Colorado is the only team in the league to not lose a game by multiple goals. They have only trailed by multiple goals inside a game three times, and for a total of just 54 minutes and 46 seconds this season.
19. The Avs have won 10 straight games, which is the longest streak in the NHL this season. They have also ended the second-longest (eight games, for New Jersey) and one of the three seven-game streaks (Anaheim).
20. MacKinnon leads the league in plus-minus (plus-26), and the next four guys on the list are his teammates (Makar, Artturi Lehkonen, Martin Necas and Devon Toews).
Want more Avalanche news? Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis.