Nathan Mackinnon gets ejected after having a major meltdown on the bench

Avalanche fans experienced an emotional rollercoaster during Saturday night's home opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon had the crowd buzzing from the start, especially after Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic presented him with the Hart Trophy. Seeing the two Denver MVPs together, both bringing championships to the city-Jokic in 2023 and MacKinnon in 2022-was a special moment that charged up the atmosphere at Ball Arena.

MacKinnon fueled the excitement even more by scoring early, sending the crowd into a frenzy. However the night took a frustrating turn for the Avalanche. Despite strong efforts from Miles Wood & Casey Mittelstadt who helped the Avs tie the game at 3-3 early in the second period Columbus spoiled the party. Sean Monahan & Kirill Marchenko each tallied a goal and two assists, leading the Blue Jackets to a 6-4 victory.

The game saw Avalanche goalie Alexander Georgiev pulled for the second consecutive night after giving up 11 goals over two games. Columbus' Marchenko and Yegor Chinakhov sealed the lead for good, leaving Colorado chasing for the remainder of the game.

Ross Colton gave the Avs some hope late in the third with a goal, making it 5-4. But Monahan's empty-netter with just 12 seconds left sealed the win for Columbus. Frustrated, MacKinnon let his emotions get the best of him, breaking his stick and earning a 10-minute misconduct, ending his bittersweet night on a sour note.