Nathan MacKinnon responded emphatically to Kucherov!

Nathan MacKinnon responded very strongly to last night’s performance by Nikita Kucherov. The Avalanche forward contributed five points to the Capitals’ devastation and took back the top spot in the scoring race. The Hart Trophy candidate for this season is in Colorado.

Nathan MacKinnon led the Avalanche home-ice cannonade

In the game Colorado Avalanche vs. Washington Capitals (6:2), Avalanche leader Nathan MacKinnon led the Capitals’ demolition. He scored four goals and contributed one assist. He answered Nikita Kucherov’s performance very decisively.

The @Avalanche scored six goals against the Capitals on Wednesday night.

Nathan MacKinnon had FOUR of them. pic.twitter.com/xiSDkSenw0

— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) January 25, 2024

In the previous game, he also had a hat trick in Tampa Bay’s win over the Flyers, and he surpassed MacKinnon in scoring with four points on the day.

However, the Canadian hockey player responded even more decisively. With a five-point performance, he moved back to the top of the scoring charts. With 82 points on 30 goals and 52 assists, he now has a two-point lead over the Russian.

MacKinnon broke the 30-goal mark for the sixth time in his career, as well as the 50-assist mark for the season. It is becoming very real that the battle for the Art Ross Trophy (most productive player) has narrowed down to a MacKinnon vs Kucherov duel.

The incredible point streak continues

MacKinnon continues to hold an incredible streak that has lasted since the beginning of the current season. He has scored in all of the Avalanche’s home games so far, which is 24 games. This surpasses Joe Sakic’s club record from the 2000-01 season.

During that streak, he has already collected 51 points on 20 goals and 31 assists. To make matters worse, he is also on a streak of 12 straight games in which he has scored.

If he was already among the finalists for the Hart Trophy, intended for the MVP of the season, this season shows that MacKinnon has fully matured and really deserves the trophy for this season.

Of course, it will depend on whether the team succeeds in the playoffs. In addition, he has already recorded two four-goal performances this season. This has only been done once in Nordiques/Avalanche history.

Michel Goulet in 1985/86. This is an exceptional performance, as Nathan is not an outright goal scorer. He has always had more assists than goals.

Source: NHL