martin nečas scored on the power play and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 at Honda Center on Tuesday night. Cale Makar added a goal and two assists and Parker Kelly had two goals as Colorado ended Anaheim’s five-game winning streak. The win extended the Avalanche’s post-Olympic run and snapped the Ducks’ string of home success.
Updated March 4, 2026 at 12: 43 AM ET.
Game essentials: Avalanche control from the start
The Avalanche opened the scoring when Cale Makar skated out from behind the net and ripped a wrist shot from the hash marks to make it 1-0. Colorado doubled the lead at 14: 05 of the first period when martin nečas hammered a one-timer on the power play from the top of the left circle, his goal extending a recent scoring streak. Cutter Gauthier trimmed the margin for Anaheim in the second, but Parker Kelly restored a two-goal lead late in the period and added an insurance goal in the third.
Scott Wedgewood finished with 27 saves for the Avalanche; Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal made 21 saves. Brock Nelson and Jack Drury each recorded two assists, and Gabriel Landeskog added a third-period goal off a feed from Nathan MacKinnon.
Martin Nečas and the power play spark
martin nečas’s power-play strike was notable: it came from a one-timer at the top of the left circle and marked another moment of momentum for Colorado after the Olympic break. The goal was one of several that underlined Colorado’s depth scoring, with parker Kelly’s two tallies and Makar’s three-point night driving the final margin.
Immediate reactions from the locker rooms
“Coming out of that (Olympic) break, you’re always hoping for the best, but you just never know what you’re going to get, ” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said, addressing team readiness after the hiatus. Anaheim forward Alex Killorn reflected on the loss: “We’ve been fortunate that we’ve come back and we’ve shown a lot of resiliency with the group, but you can’t do that in every game. ” Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville added, “Playing from behind is not traditionally winning hockey. “
Nathan MacKinnon, on Gabriel Landeskog’s form, said, “I feel like every week he’s getting better and better, ” praising Landeskog’s timing and shot as Colorado pulled away.
Quick context
The victory completed a back-to-back sweep of Southern California opponents for Colorado and halted Anaheim’s run of recent home dominance. The Ducks had entered the game with five straight wins and double-digit success over their past stretch.
What’s next
Colorado will carry momentum forward as it prepares for its next scheduled game on Friday, March 6, against the Dallas Stars; the Avalanche will look to sustain their post-break form. The Ducks face a quick turnaround with a home game the following night as they seek answers off this loss.
martin nečas’s power-play goal stood out as a turning point in a game that highlighted Colorado’s balance: special teams, secondary scoring and veteran leadership combined to cool a surging Anaheim club. martin nečas and teammates will be watched closely as both sides move into the final stretch of the schedule.
