The author of the longest streak of games with at least one point in the National Hockey League plays in Denver and has a name that still rings in the ears of viewers to this day: Nathan MacKinnon.
The crowd watching the Colorado Avalanche's 5-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabers at Ball Arena on Wednesday heard the prolific forward's name a few times as he added two assists to his tally. That's why he was on the top scorer list in each of his last 13 duels. In addition, the number 29 has scored at least one point in all of his team's home games so far.
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The pivot playing in the front row with Valeri Nichushkin and Mikko Rantanen is one of the explanations for the “Avs” presence at the top of the Central Section of the National Hockey League: Head coach Jared Bednar's team has a record of 18-9 to a -2 record while MacKinnon has 41 points, including 12 goals.
“Although he was still a point per game above average, he said he was down and wasn't really happy with the way he was playing or that of his line. They persevered and worked together. Now they seem to be on the good side,” Bednar told NHL.com.
“Before they made an impact, they worked hard and then the results came. They feel a little more comfortable there. I think having confidence and just playing well while doing the right things has led to some interesting results.”
A personal highlight?
If he keeps up the pace, the Nova Scotian could finish with a similar record to last season, in which he collected 111 points in 71 duels. Additionally, his prowess against the Sabers allowed him to reach the 800 career point plateau. He is the fifth skater in the former Quebec-based retailer's history to reach that total.
Additionally, MacKinnon was scheduled to speak to journalists after the meeting, but he had to undergo treatment instead. Of course, Bednar hopes that he is healthy, especially since he has scored two or more points in 14 duels this season.
Meanwhile, Quebecer Jonathan Drouin is trying to find his feet on offense. He recorded an assist on Wednesday to increase his points total for the year to nine and end a three-game pointless streak. The Avalanche will visit the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.