Colorado Avalanche at Florida Panthers
NHL game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers on Jan 04, 2026. Final score: Colorado Avalanche 1, Florida Panthers 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 04, 2026 |
| Venue | Amerant Bank Arena |
| Colorado Avalanche score | 1 |
| Florida Panthers score | 2 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sam Bennett | C | 1 | 0 | 3 | 19:25 | 0.62 | 1.00 |
| 2nd | Aaron Ekblad | D | 1 | 0 | 2 | 26:57 | 0.10 | 0.80 |
| 3rd | Brock Nelson | C | 0 | 1 | 4 | 25:15 | 0.57 | 0.69 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Colorado Avalanche–Florida Panthers) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 06:27 | FLA | Sam Bennett | — | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 11:51 | COL | Artturi Lehkonen | Josh Manson, Brock Nelson | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 18:12 | FLA | Aaron Ekblad | — | 5v5 | 1–2 |
Team Comparison
| Colorado Avalanche | Florida Panthers | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 28 | 25 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.85 | 2.63 |
| High-danger shots | 14 | 9 |
| Corsi % | 56.0% | 44.0% |
| Power play | 0/4 | 0/3 |
| Faceoff % | 54.8% | 45.2% |
| Hits | 15 | 25 |
| Blocks | 8 | 9 |
| Giveaways | 19 | 15 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 7 |
Colorado Avalanche Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Nelson | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 25:15 | 0.57 | 0.69 |
| Artturi Lehkonen | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18:34 | 0.10 | 0.65 |
| Josh Manson | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:22 | 0.12 | 0.49 |
| Valeri Nichushkin | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23:28 | 0.68 | 0.20 |
| Zakhar Bardakov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:40 | 0.07 | 0.15 |
| Parker Kelly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:49 | 0.08 | 0.10 |
| Ilya Solovyov | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:40 | 0.01 | 0.05 |
| Jack Drury | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:34 | 0.24 | 0.05 |
| Cale Makar | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 29:07 | 0.11 | 0.05 |
| Gavin Brindley | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9:31 | 0.20 | 0.05 |
| Ross Colton | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:13 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 23:12 | 0.29 | 0.00 |
| Brent Burns | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:57 | 0.09 | -0.05 |
| Victor Olofsson | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:34 | 0.04 | -0.05 |
| Sam Malinski | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:23 | 0.02 | -0.05 |
| Samuel Girard | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:05 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Martin Necas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22:26 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
| Gabriel Landeskog | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5:58 | 0.03 | -0.15 |
Florida Panthers Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Bennett | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19:25 | 0.62 | 1.00 |
| Aaron Ekblad | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 26:57 | 0.10 | 0.80 |
| Niko Mikkola | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:11 | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| A.J. Greer | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:25 | 0.01 | 0.20 |
| Gustav Forsling | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24:51 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Donovan Sebrango | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:23 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Eetu Luostarinen | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:58 | 0.06 | 0.10 |
| Carter Verhaeghe | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:43 | 0.01 | 0.10 |
| Luke Kunin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:18 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Jesper Boqvist | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6:14 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Sam Reinhart | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23:29 | 0.34 | 0.05 |
| Brad Marchand | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19:09 | 0.07 | 0.00 |
| Jack Studnicka | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4:33 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Jeff Petry | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:42 | 0.08 | -0.10 |
| Evan Rodrigues | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:32 | 0.30 | -0.10 |
| Mackie Samoskevich | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13:24 | 0.43 | -0.15 |
| Uvis Balinskis | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:05 | 0.13 | -0.15 |
| Anton Lundell | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:41 | 0.37 | -0.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Wedgewood | Colorado Avalanche | 23 | 25 | 92.0% | 1.29 | L |
| Daniil Tarasov | Florida Panthers | 27 | 28 | 96.4% | 4.34 | W |
Analysis
The Florida Panthers defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2–1 on Jan 04, 2026, a one-goal game.
Florida Panthers generated 2.63 expected goals to Colorado Avalanche's 2.85 — Colorado Avalanche owned the better of the chances but Florida Panthers took the game, the kind of split that usually means finishing or goaltending decided it; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Sam Bennett led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.0 on 1 goal, 3 shots on goal.
Daniil Tarasov stopped 27 of 28, worth 4.34 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Colorado Avalanche vs Florida Panthers game?
The Florida Panthers beat the Colorado Avalanche 2–1 on Jan 04, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Florida Panthers 2, Colorado Avalanche 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Sam Bennett led all skaters at 1.0, on 1G, 0A and 3 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Florida Panthers generated 2.63 expected goals and Colorado Avalanche generated 2.85, so Colorado Avalanche created the better chances. The scoreboard went the other way, which points to finishing or goaltending.
What were the shot totals?
Colorado Avalanche put 28 shots on goal and Florida Panthers put 25. High-danger chances went 14 to 9.
How did the goaltenders play?
Scott Wedgewood stopped 23 of 25 (1.29 goals saved above expected); Daniil Tarasov stopped 27 of 28 (4.34 goals saved above expected).