Given the opponent, Friday afternoon was the most impressive win of the young season for the Colorado Avalanche.

Martin Necas and the Avalanche went into Las Vegas and ruined Nevada Day for the locals, as Colorado took down a strong Golden Knights team by a score of 4-2 on Halloween day.

Here are five takeaways from Colorado’s big win.

1. Martin Necas probably could have earned himself an even bigger payday if he had waited even longer to sign his big contract extension, but the Colorado Avalanche are happy he didn’t do that. Necas scored 41 seconds into his first shift since signing a $92 million contract on Thursday morning, then added two primary assists in the third period to lead the Avalanche to a big win over Vegas, arguably their greatest competition in the Western Conference.
2. The Avalanche aren’t asking Brent Burns to be the player he was 10 years ago, but they’ll take a goal here and there from the 40-year-old defenseman. He saved his first in a Colorado uniform for the perfect time, as he took a pass from Necas and sent a perfect shot over Carl Lindbom’s glove for the eventual game-winner in the third period. That’s one way to make up for taking two penalties earlier in the game. It was another game where Burns is firmly the third defenseman in time-on-ice for the Avalanche.
3. Gavin Brindley took a heavy hit cutting across the middle in the second period and did not take another shift the rest of the game. Ivan Barbashev looked like he held up a little bit on the hit, but his forearm still made contact with Brindley’s head. Zakhar Bardakov also did not take a shift in the third period, but that was likely a coaches decision. Logan O’Connor is nearing a return, but it won’t be for at least another week.
4. Cale Makar has 13 assists already this season. That’s more assists than any other defenseman in the league has points. His pass to Necas for the first goal of the game was all-world, and he had a dynamite all-around game, likely his best of the season.
5. Colorado’s penalty kill was fantastic against a deadly Vegas power play, as the Avalanche had someone shadowing Pavel Dorofeyev at all times. Dorofeyev leads the NHL with five power plays goals this season. It’s a good thing the penalty kill was solid, because Colorado was a little too undisciplined, which could have come back to haunt them against a very good Golden Knights team. Not all the penalties were penalties, though. The third period call on Devon Toews was a poor one, as the replays showed it was nothing more than good defense by the veteran defenseman on Jack Eichel.