The Superstar

At some point in all of the hitting, cussing, punching, hustle and heart, playoff hockey comes down to the stars. Much ink has been spilled here about the impact of third line wingers, but in the end the story comes down to whether or not a team’s top players performed or were punished. 

In the last two years Nathan MacKinnon has developed into a player who is on a very short list of stars in the NHL. Last season he had every right to win the Hart Trophy as MVP of the league. This playoff season the young Avalanche superstar has begun to stake his claim on history. 

With a goal in the midst of a game he took over, the puck was batted not once, but twice out of the air by MacKinnon as he moved into territory not seen by any Avalanche or Nordique that came before him. He has now gathered a point in eight straight playoff games. Neither Joe Sakic or Peter Forsberg managed such an accomplishment. Nor did Michel Goulet or any of the Stastny brothers or children. Nobody in franchise history as been so consistent in the playoffs. Has the time come for us to consider Nathan MacKinnon to be one of the greats? Not quite yet, but soon. The future for Nathan MacKinnon remains as tantalizing as his present and that is a main reason why this playoff run has become so fun. 

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Five Thoughts

1. Jekyll versus Hyde

So far this series the Avalanche have shown that they can both dominate and disappoint. Game four saw the good Avalanche finally arrive in Denver after an uneven performance in the previous game. This time around they dominated. What are we to make of this team?! What am I seeing?! Why can’t I stop shouting?! 

The first half of the season we were treated to a juggernaut that was mainly dragged along by its top line. In stark contrast, the second half of the season begat a squad that attempted to diversify its talent and failed miserably. In the playoffs it seems that the Avalanche have finally responded to the change. Suddenly they are a deep, dominant team and the result is as awesome to watch as it is confounding. 

2. But also...

...Great goaltending helps. 

Gruuuuuuuuu!

3. So about that grinder award I made up and gave to Matt Nieto. 

(Sipping coffee) Yeah...about that. We’re gonna need you to give it Matt Calvert. Thanks. 

4. Authentic Frontier Jibberish

Until tonight Brent Burns was content to go full Mongo on the Avalanche. With at least one point in every game it wasn’t hard to see how the toothless Yeti was keeping the Avalanche pinned behind a piano. That all went up in smoke like a candy gram with Burns seeing no points and a minus-three. He was instrumental in allowing every goal by the Avalanche and was undressed more than once by speedier Avalanche players. He’ll be back, but tonight Mongo was merely a pawn in the game of life. 

5. Up Next

The puck remains in Denver for one more game as the Avalanche continue to take advantage of the Sharks by out-sprinting them at altitude. I expect the Sharks to bounce back but the Avs have the momentum. Let’s call it a victory for the home team in Game Five.