Nathan MacKinnon was one of six different Colorado players to score and the Avalanche cruised to a 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.

This winter’s celebration of hockey in the State of Florda officially will begin when the NHL STREET Championships presented by GEICO attempts to make history and break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® for the largest one-day street hockey championship on Sunday,

The Florida Panthers ran into a buzzsaw on Thursday night. Playing the back end of a back-to-back set, Florida was shellacked by the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche by a final score of 6-2. Colorado jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when they scored on their first rush of the night.

The Colorado Avalanche honored the Stanley Cup champions from 30 years ago, then the current club worked over the two-time defending champs.

Florida Panthers (15-13-2, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Dallas Stars (21-6-5, in the Central Division) Dallas; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Dallas Stars host the Florida Panthers looking to continue a four-game home winning streak.

Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche welcomed the Florida Panthers into Denver after coming home from a road trip. This was the first of two regular-season matchups between these two teams, which the Avs won by a total score of 6-2 with goals from Sam Malinski, Brock Nelson, Gavin Brindley, Nathan MacKinnon Artturi Lehkonen and Gabe Landeskog.

Gavin Brindley had a goal and an assist in his return to the lineup, Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson and Sam Malinski also had a goal and an assist, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Florida Panthers 6-2 in Denver on Thursday night.

Pete Blackburn discusses the Florida Panthers opening up a critical 10-game stretch with a loss

Panthers vs Maple Leafs: The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs meet tonight in a matchup between the bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference, with both sitting at 25 points and the Leafs having played one extra game. It is an unusual place for both clubs to be, and this game gives each side a chance to break out of a difficult stretch.

Ahead of the Sunshine State hosting back-to-back outdoor games – the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic and the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series – the NHL, NHLPA, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning will unite to celebrate hockey from mid-December through the beginning of February with numerous community events and initiatives.