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Big MacK is on the attack |
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Rick Sadowski
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No slow start for Nathan MacKinnon this season.
With two more goals Thursday in the Avalanche’s 6-1 win in Buffalo, MacKinnon has five in the first four games.
He joined John Mitchell of all players (2015-16) as the only Avalanche members to open a season with a four-game goal streak. The franchise record of five was set by the Quebec Nordiques' Mats Sundin in 1992-93.
MacKinnon didn’t score a goal in his first six games last year, and it took him 15 games to get five. Yet he finished with a career-high 39 despite missing eight games with an injury, and was second to New Jersey’s Taylor Hall in voting for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.
"It's always nice to get off to a good start,” he told reporters. “It takes some pressure off you, for sure. You get a few on the board quick and early. Last year wasn't a great start for me, but I got going. Hopefully I can continue this momentum for the whole season."
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(News note: Sheldon Dries has been assigned to the AHL Colorado Eagles).
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As well as MacKinnon is playing, he believes the best is yet to come.
"I think I can play better than I am," he said. "I'm just putting them in right now, but I think, overall, it hasn't been the easiest year so far. Our line's gotten better, like we played last season, but it's nice to score some goals."
The line has combined for 15 points (seven goals, eight assists). Right wing Mikko Rantanen has a team-leading seven points (one goal, six assists) while left wing Gabriel Landeskog has a goal and an assist.
All four lines have contributed to the Avalanche’s 3-1-0 start heading into Saturday’s home game against Calgary, and goalie Semyon Varlamov (3-0-0, 1.33 goals-against average, .955 save percentage) has been terrific.
The Alexander Kerfoot-Tyson Jost-Colin Wilson has nine points (five goals, four assists) and the Matt Nieto-Carl Soderberg-Gabriel Bourque line has seven points (three goals, four assists). Soderberg has 3-2-5. J.T. Compher has two goals and an assist, the only points for the fourth line.
Special teams have been outstanding. The Avalanche have a power-play goal in each of the first four games (5-of-15 overall) and they’ve killed 18 of 19 penalties. An inability to stay out of the penalty box has been a problem.
The Avalanche didn’t practice Friday after arriving home from Buffalo. They head back East after meeting the Flames, playing the New York Rangers on Tuesday to open a four-game road trip.
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