Ex-Avalanche star Ryan O'Reilly has hat trick, four points in Predators' 7-3 win at Ball Arena

Corey Masisak, The Denver Post on Jan 17, 2026

Published in Hockey

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DENVER — It took a monster night from an old friend for the Colorado Avalanche to lose in regulation at Ball Arena for the first time this season.

Ryan O’Reilly had a hat trick and a four-point game Friday night to help the Nashville Predators knock off the Avalanche, 7-3. The Avs are now 19-1-3 at home this season, but they have lost the past two after also dropping a 4-3 decision in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mackenzie Blackwood, making his first start since Dec. 31, made 23 saves for the Avs and lost for just the third time this season (13-2-1). Nashville’s Juuse Saros made 38 saves, including a couple of highlight-reel stops in the second period.

Nashville took control of this contest with a pair of second-period goals. O’Reilly completed his hat trick at 13:01 of the middle period by tipping a Luke Evangelista shot for his 16th goal of the season to make it a 3-2 game.

The former Avs center now has 13 goals and 39 points in 37 career games against Colorado. O’Reilly has played at least 30 games against 18 NHL franchises, and the Avs are the only one he is averaging at least one point per game against.

Michael Bunting made it a 4-2 lead with 1:56 remaining in the second. Colorado’s Valeri Nichushkin lost control of the puck as he tried to pass it to a cutting Josh Manson and Nashville quickly counter-attacked. Steven Stamkos flipped a pass from the middle of the ice to Bunting streaking down the left wing and he hammered a wrist shot just under the crossbar and in.

It was only the second time this season Colorado has trailed by two goals after two periods at Ball Arena this season. The Avs were down 4-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 23 but rallied to force overtime before losing 5-4 in a shootout.

Martin Necas scored early in the third period to get Colorado back within a goal, but O’Reilly set up Filip Forsberg for a power-play goal with 4:47 left and Stamkos scored into an empty net to end any doubt.

O’Reilly and Brock Nelson both scored twice in the opening period. Nashville took a quick 1-0 lead just 30 seconds in. Forsberg collected the rebound of his own shot off a faceoff win, and then found O’Reilly cutting to the net. The former Avs center was alone in front and roofed a backhanded shot past Blackwood.

Nelson got that one back just 54 seconds later. He won a faceoff back to Brent Burns at the right point, and then was in front of the net to poke the rebound through Saros’ legs at 1:24.

O’Reilly collected the puck to the right of the Colorado net and tried to feed Evangelista at the far side of the crease, but it went off Samuel Girard’s stick and through Blackwood’s legs at 7:32 of the first.

Nelson had another response at 11:16 of the opening period. It was another shot from near the right point, this time from Manson. Nelson was crossing in front of Saros from right to left, but was able to deflect the shot with the shaft of his stick.

That is 24 goals this season for Nelson. He is now tied for third among Americans who are currently on the U.S. Olympic team, behind only Minnesota’s Matt Boldy and Buffalo’s Tage Thompson. He’s also on pace for 42 goals this season. His career high is 37, set in 2021-22 with the New York Islanders.

Nelson has also scored 18 goals in the past 22 games. Connor McDavid leads the NHL with 20 goals in 23 games during that same time span (since Nov. 29), while Nelson’s pair pushed him ahead of teammate Nathan MacKinnon for second in the league.