DENVER (Interstat) — Martin Necas scored twice and added an assist, and the Colorado Avalanche used a four-goal second period to pull away from the St. Louis Blues for a 6-1 victory on Saturday in an NHL game at Ball Arena. Nicolas Roy and Necas scored 23 seconds apart during the outburst, helping Colorado stay unbeaten and handing St. Louis its first loss. The announced attendance was 18,087.

The Avalanche controlled the opening period and built a 2-0 lead. Cale Makar opened the scoring at 4:09 of the first period with a wrist shot, assisted by Necas and Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado doubled the advantage at 13:12 when Necas scored on a wrist shot, with MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen earning assists. St. Louis had chances in the period, including a Robert Thomas shot that hit the right post, but goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood was steady when tested.

Colorado blew the game open in the second period. Josh Manson made it 3-0 at 10:38 with a wrist shot from Nicolas Roy and Parker Kelly. Lehkonen then scored unassisted at 22:40. Roy pushed the lead to 5-0 at 36:02, with Kelly and Manson assisting. Just 23 seconds later, Necas struck again on a backhand, with Gabriel Landeskog and MacKinnon setting it up. That four-goal burst turned a competitive game into a rout and gave the Avalanche all the separation they needed.

St. Louis avoided the shutout when Dalibor Dvorsky scored on a backhand, assisted by Theo Lindstein. The Blues had a few late looks, including shots from Dylan Holloway, Mason McTavish, Pavel Buchnevich and Colton Parayko, but Blackwood and the Colorado defense kept the damage to one goal. The Avalanche protected the puck well enough after building the big lead and finished with a comfortable win.

Colorado’s top line set the tone. MacKinnon repeatedly won faceoffs and created chances, finishing with three assists. Necas used his size and speed to get to the net, scoring twice and assisting on Makar’s opener. Makar’s first-period goal came after sustained pressure in the St. Louis zone. The Avalanche defensemen also joined the rush, with Manson and Makar both scoring and Malinski and Burns generating shot attempts.

St. Louis had moments early. Robert Thomas won faceoffs and hit the post in the first period. Pavel Buchnevich and Connor McMichael forced saves from Blackwood. Colton Parayko blocked several shots, including attempts by Necas and Toews. Brandon Carlo also blocked a Necas shot in the third. But the Blues could not string together enough chances against Colorado’s defense.

Necas, the top star for Colorado, finished with two goals, one assist and four shots on goal. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound forward is off to a fast start with two goals and two assists after notching the first 100-point season of his career in 2025-26. He also had an assist and four shots on goal in Colorado’s previous game against Los Angeles. His speed and finishing were central to the Avalanche’s attack.

MacKinnon, listed at 6-foot and 200 pounds, had three assists and four shots on goal. Blackwood, 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, earned the win with 25 saves on 26 shots. Josh Manson, 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, had a goal, an assist, two shots on goal and one hit. Artturi Lehkonen, 5-foot-11 and 179 pounds, added a goal, an assist, two shots on goal and two hits. Nicolas Roy, 6-foot-4 and 201 pounds, contributed a goal, an assist, three shots on goal, two penalty minutes and one hit.

Cale Makar, 6-foot and 187 pounds, scored once and recorded three shots on goal. Parker Kelly, 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, had two assists, one shot on goal and two hits. Sam Malinski, 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, registered one shot on goal and one hit. Nazem Kadri, 6-foot and 185 pounds, had four shots on goal and one hit. Colorado’s depth forwards and defensemen consistently pressured St. Louis throughout the night.

St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington faced steady traffic and made several saves, including stops on Makar, Necas, MacKinnon, Nazem Kadri and Jaden Schwartz. The Blues’ best moments came in spurts, but they could not solve Blackwood until Dvorsky’s goal. St. Louis also took penalties at costly moments. Zach Dean was called for slashing in the first period and cross-checking in the third, while Dalibor Dvorsky received a slashing penalty in the second. Dillon Dube was whistled for tripping in the third. Colorado took two penalties: Nicolas Roy for slashing in the second and Brent Burns for high-sticking in the second.

The win moved Colorado to 2-0 on the season. The Avalanche had opened with an 8-4 home victory over Los Angeles. St. Louis fell to 1-1 after opening with a 4-0 win at Dallas. The Blues will look to bounce back on the road and then return home, while Colorado carries early momentum into a road trip. St. Louis is scheduled to visit Chicago next, then host San Jose and Columbus. Colorado is set to visit Winnipeg and Calgary before returning home to face Toronto. The Avalanche’s fast start has been powered by Necas, MacKinnon and a balanced scoring effort.

The game was played at Ball Arena in Denver. St. Louis finished with 26 shots on goal, and Blackwood stopped 25 of them. The Avalanche scored during even-strength play in the listed sequences and did not need a power-play goal to pull away. The Blues, meanwhile, managed one goal and could not build sustained pressure after falling behind early. The final score reflected Colorado’s control over the final two periods.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Colorado 5, St. Louis 3. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Colorado with a 66.5 percent probability to win. Colorado had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 7 went under the over/under line of 6.5.