Necas and Roy score quick goals as the Avalanche rout the Blues 6-1

DENVER (AP) — Nicolas Roy and Martin Necas scored 23 seconds apart in a four-goal second period, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 6-1 on Saturday night.

Necas, who finished with two goals and an assist, is off to a fast start with two goals and two assists after notching the first 100-point season of his career in 2025-26.

Nathan MacKinnon continued his hot start with three assists and has five points in the first two games, both blowouts by Colorado. MacKinnon, last year’s Rocket Richard winner with 53 goals, scored two goals in the 8-4 win over Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

Necas and Cale Makar, who signed an eight-year, $163.2 million extension that kicks in next season, scored in the first period and the Avs blew it open in the second.

Josh Manson scored at 5:38, Artturi Lehkonen stole St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington’s clearing pass and knocked it into the empty net six minutes later, and then Roy and Necas put it away with goals in the final 1:58.

Necas’ second goal came on another misplay of the puck by Binnington. It is the second straight game against Colorado that Binnington has allowed six goals, with the other occurring on New Year’s Eve of 2025. He allowed six goals on 36 shots in his season debut.

Mackenzie Blackwood had 25 saves but lost his shutout bid when Dalibor Dvorsky scored at 2:34 of the third period.

The Blues opened their season with a 4-0 win at Dallas on Friday night but couldn’t generate much offense against the fast-skating Avalanche. St. Louis had just four shots on goal in the first period and 11 in the second and third.

Blues: Wrap up their three-game road trip at the Blackhawks on Tuesday night.

Avalanche: Play their first road game of the season at the Jets on Wednesday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

From left, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (7) celebrates a goal by teammate Martin Necas (88) with left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) as St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50) skates away during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/RJ Sangosti)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns controls the puck in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the St.louis Blues, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/RJ Sangosti)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, left, moves the puck downice against St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg (6) in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/RJ Sangosti)

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington (50), right, stops a shot by Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29), second from right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/RJ Sangosti)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jacob Misiorowski opened his first career playoff start Saturday night by throwing a 104.8 mph strike to Fernando Tatis Jr. — the fastest postseason pitch since tracking began in 2008.

The next delivery to Tatis was 104.6 mph, the second-fastest of the tracking era.

Yet the San Diego Padres hung tough against the NL Cy Young Award favorite by fouling off 30 of his 88 pitches — 31 if you count Xander Bogaerts' popup that was caught in foul territory — to chase the Milwaukee Brewers ace after four innings in Game 1 of their NL Division Series.

That matched the average length of Misiorowski’s three postseason relief appearances during the Brewers’ run to the National League Championship Series last year, when he posted a 1.50 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 12 playoff innings.

Misiorowski’s presence was a major reason why the Brewers entered the postseason believing they had a legitimate shot at winning their first World Series title. The Brewers have home-field advantage throughout the postseason after winning a franchise-record 103 games during the regular season.

In his first full season in the big leagues, Misiorowski posted a 1.80 ERA, struck out 252 batters and limited hitters to a .157 batting average to lead the majors in all three categories. The only other pitchers since 1950 to finish a season atop all three of those categories were Sandy Koufax in 1965, J.R. Richard in 1979 and Mike Scott in 1986, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

That .157 opponents’ batting average was the lowest since 1900 for an AL or NL pitcher with 100 or more innings, improving upon Pedro Martinez’s .167 in 2000. Misiorowski's 0.80 WHIP (walks and hits allowed per innings pitched) was the lowest in a full regular season for pitchers with at least 150 innings since Martinez’s 0.73 in 2000.

Misiorowski’s 1,115 pitches of 100 mph or more were the most in a season during the tracking era, shattering the prior mark of 673 by Jordan Hicks in 2018.

But the 6-foot-7 right-hander wasn’t as dominant as usual Saturday as the Padres drove up his pitch count.

San Diego even touched up Misiorowski for two runs in the second inning, which marked a giant step forward from the only other time the Padres faced him. Misiorowski struck out 10 and allowed four hits in seven shutout innings against them on May 13, though San Diego rallied to win that game 3-1 on Gavin Sheets’ three-run homer off Abner Uribe with two outs in the ninth.

Bogaerts, Ethan Salas and Luis Campusano hit consecutive one-out singles, with Campusano’s base hit to right field driving in Bogaerts. Jake Cronenworth then hit a broken-bat grounder, and first baseman Jake Bauers was unable to throw out Salas at the plate.

San Diego could have done even more damage, but Manny Machado grounded out to leave the bases loaded.

Those were the only two runs allowed by Misiorowski. He struck out six while allowing four hits and one walk.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski tosses out San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. during the second inning in Game 1 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts after striking out San Diego Padres' Luis Campusano during the fourth inning in Game 1 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts after striking out San Diego Padres' Luis Campusano during the fourth inning in Game 1 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)