Martin Necas celebrated his new contract in spectacular fashion, contributing a goal and two assists to help the Colorado Avalanche secure a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday.

Necas, who signed a lucrative $92 million, eight-year extension on Thursday, wasted no time making an impact. He scored his eighth goal of the season just 41 seconds into the game, setting the tone for the Avalanche.

Cale Makar also had an impressive outing, registering a goal and an assist to extend his point streak to six games. Brock Nelson and Brent Burns added goals for Colorado, while Scott Wedgewood made 21 crucial saves between the pipes.

The 40-year-old Brent Burns reached a significant milestone by moving past Bobby Orr into 11th place among defensemen with 916 career points.

On the other side, Tomas Hertl and Mitch Marner each recorded a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights. Rookie goalie Carl Lindbom made 22 saves but couldn’t contain the Avalanche’s offense.

Vegas continued to struggle on the power play, particularly without their captain Mark Stone, who remains on injured reserve with an apparent wrist injury. The Golden Knights went 0-for-6 with the man advantage and are just 1-for-19 on the power play without Stone in the lineup, compared to 9-for-24 when he plays.

In an effort to capitalize on a 5-on-3 advantage, Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy called a timeout at 2:06 of the third period. While Tomas Hertl did score shortly afterward, it was at even strength during a 4-on-4 situation.

The Golden Knights are not alone in facing difficulties against Colorado’s aggressive penalty kill. The Avalanche have now successfully killed off 18 consecutive penalties and 29 of their last 30 overall, showcasing their defensive prowess.

This win consolidates Colorado’s strong form and raises expectations as they look to continue their successful run this season.
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