DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored his NHL-leading 26th goal and added an assist, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 on Saturday night for their 11th straight home win.
MacKinnon, who has scored in six straight home games, leads the league with 55 points.
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Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, left, loses control of the puck as Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg covers in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Gavin Brindley, left, has his shot deflected off the pad of Nashville Predators goaltender Justus Annunen in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Nashville Predators center Jonathan Marchessault, front right, redirects the puck at Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood, left, while battling for position with defenseman Josh Manson in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen, right, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche center Gavin Brindley, top left, falls on Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, left, shoots the puck past Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Perbix for a goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Jack Drury, Victor Olofsson and Valeri Nichushkin also scored for Colorado, which is 13-0-2 on home ice this season. The 11 straight wins matches the second-longest in franchise history, previously accomplished Jan. 31-March 27 of last season.
The longest home winning streak is 18 games set during the 2021-22 Stanley Cup season.
The Avalanche’s 53 points through 32 games is tied for third all-time and they have just two regulation losses this season. They have earned at least a point in 23 of their last 24 games.
Jonathan Marchessault and Tyson Jost scored for Nashville and Justus Annunen stopped 38 shots against the team that traded him to the Predators at the start of the 2024-25 season. Nashville had won six of its last eight games, including a 4-3 shootout win over Colorado on Tuesday night.
Scott Wedgewood, the player the Avalanche got in exchange for Annunen, made 27 saves and tied Dallas’ Jake Oettinger for the most wins with 14.
MacKinnon put the Avalanche ahead 1:27 after the opening faceoff, the ninth time this season they have scored in the first 1:30. Drury’s fifth off the season, which deflected off defenseman Nicolas Hague’s knee, made it 2-0 at 11:47.
Marchessault cut the lead in half with a power-play goal 50 seconds later.
The Predators carried the play to start the second period but Colorado go the only goal when Olofsson scored on a delayed penalty at 9:57.
Nichushkin scored an empty-net goal with 3:31 remaining in the third.
Predators: At St. Louis on Monday night.
Avalanche: at Seattle on Tuesday night.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, left, loses control of the puck as Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg covers in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Gavin Brindley, left, has his shot deflected off the pad of Nashville Predators goaltender Justus Annunen in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Nashville Predators center Jonathan Marchessault, front right, redirects the puck at Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood, left, while battling for position with defenseman Josh Manson in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen, right, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche center Gavin Brindley, top left, falls on Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, left, shoots the puck past Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Perbix for a goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
HELSINGBORG, Sweden (AP) — NATO allies and defense officials expressed bewilderment Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number of forces pulled out of Europe.
The apparent change of mind came after weeks of statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not increasing — the U.S. military footprint in Europe. Trump's initial order set off a flurry of action among military commanders and left allies already doubtful about America's commitment to Europe's security to ponder what forces they might have to backfill on NATO's eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it was reducing levels in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and U.S. officials confirmed about 4,000 service members were no longer rotating into Poland from Germany. The dispatch to Germany of U.S. personnel trained to fire long-range missiles was also halted.
But in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said he would now send "an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” citing his strong ties with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom Trump endorsed in elections last year.
“It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters Friday at a meeting she was hosting of her NATO counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Ministers from the Netherlands and Norway were sanguine about Trump’s latest move, as was Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, who said allies knew the U.S. troop “posture was being reconsidered, and now there is no change of posture. For now.”
U.S. defense officials also expressed confusion. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement. We don’t know what this means either,” said one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.
But Rubio said Washington’s allies understand that changes in the U.S. troop presence in Europe will come as the Trump administration reevaluates its force needs. “I think there’s a broad recognition that there are going to be eventually less U.S. troops in Europe than there has historically been for a variety of reasons,” he said.
The latest surprise came despite a U.S. pledge to coordinate troop deployments, including one from NATO’s top military officer, U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, on Wednesday.
Trump's initial announcement that he would withdraw troops came as he fumed over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized what he called a lack of strategy in that war.
Trump told reporters that the U.S. would be cutting even more than 5,000 and also announced new tariffs on European cars. Germany is the continent’s biggest auto producer.
Rubio insisted that Trump’s decision “is not a punitive thing. It’s just something that’s ongoing.”
About 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe. The Pentagon is required to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment on the continent unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests.
The withdrawal of 5,000 troops might drop numbers below that limit.
But Trump's latest post suggests that troop numbers in Europe would not change. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcomed the decision to send more forces to his country, saying it ensures that “the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also welcomed the move. On Thursday, before Trump took to Truth Social again, Rutte had underlined that it was important for Europe to take care of its own security. “We have a process in place. This is normal business,” he told reporters.
At NATO headquarters in Brussels, meanwhile, U.S. officials briefed the allies on the Pentagon's aims for its commitments to the NATO Force Model, which involves contingency planning for Europe’s defense in the event of serious security concerns. It was widely expected that a further reduction of U.S. forces would be coming.
Asked whether any cuts were announced, Rutte said: “I’m afraid it’s much more complicated than that.” He said the procedure “is highly classified” and declined to give details.
Rubio played down concerns about a shift in U.S. force levels in Europe, saying: "Every country has to constantly reevaluate what their needs are, what their commitments are around the world, and how to properly structure that.”
Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Emma Burrows in London contributed.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with journalists during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, front second left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, front left, speak with each other during a group photo at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte look at each other as they deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže speaks at the doorstep of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting at Sea U in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives with his wife Jeanette at Malmo Airport, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Malmo-Sturup, Sweden, ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, second from left, shakes hands with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, as he is greeted by King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Maria Malmer Stenergard, right, before a dinner at Sofiero Castle in Helsingborg, Sweden, Thursday May 21 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)
