MacKinnon expected breakthrough year
Star forward believes he’s finally living up to his expectations as Colorado chases playoff spot
DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon’s name frequently gets mentioned among the best players in the game this season.
That’s flattering and certainly appreciated and understandable, but it’s not really a surprise. Least of all to MacKinnon. “I expect it,” MacKinnon said without a trace of arrogance. “This feels normal.”
The former No. 1 overall pick, who trains in the summer with fellow Cole Harbour, N.S., native Sidney Crosby, has taken his game to another level. With a blend of speed and savvy to go with a pinpoint shot, MacKinnon’s blossomed into one of the league’s top scorers with 33 goals and 49 assists.
His rise has helped put the Avalanche into playoff position a season after finishing last in the NHL. They were holding on to a wildcard spot with 13 games remaining before Wednesday’s games.
“Playoffs are my goal and everybody’s goal on this team,” said the 22-year-old MacKinnon. “With us
making the playoffs comes personal success. It shows that being a good team helps everybody.”
The all-star centre recently became the first Avalanche player
to eclipse the 80-point mark since 2006-07, when Hall of Fame forward-turned-front office executive Joe Sakic (100 points) and Andrew Brunette (83) accomplished the feat.
“I didn’t expect to get 80,” said MacKinnon, whose previous high was 63 points in 2013-14, when he was the rookie of the year and Colorado last made the post-season. “It’s not really about the numbers. It’s about how I’m playing and how I’m doing it. I’m trying to focus on what I can control and that’s how I play.”
MacKinnon leads the Avalanche in virtually every offensive statistic — scoring (82 points), points per game (1.34), game-winning goals (10), power-play goals (12) and shots (227). He’s also up there in another category: Sticking up for linemates, which was on display last weekend when he dropped the gloves against Arizona after taking exception to a hit on Mikko Rantanen.
His teammates applauded the move. So did head coach Jared Bednar, with one caveat: Don’t do that again.
“He’s such a big part of our club that there’s too much at risk there,” Bednar said.
MacKinnon has been especially difficult to contain at the Pepsi Center, where he leads the league in home scoring with 59 points. It’s the most home points by an Avalanche player since Sakic had 67 in 2000-01.
“For him to be doing what he’s doing and establish himself as one of the best players in the league, it’s something special,” defenceman Tyson Barrie said. “He’s really turned the corner this year and developed. It’s going to be scary to see what he can do.”
His fellow linemates Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog have played an integral role. They’ve been paired together for most of the season and have a combined 201 points between them.
They’ve developed such a cohesive connection that it’s hard to break them up.
“He’s always had skill,” Landeskog said. “Now he’s getting rewarded for it.”
Another part of MacKinnon’s success can be attributed to the time he’s spent working out with Crosby, his favourite player growing up.
“He pushes me,” said MacKinnon, who’s joined the Pittsburgh standout on the ice for the last five or so summers. “You can’t find a better workout partner than him.”