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Rantanen's triumphant return; MacKinnon, Makar net honors

December 1, 2019, 5:46 PM ET [1 Comments]
Rick Sadowski
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • RSSArchiveCONTACT
It was quite a Saturday night for right wing Mikko Rantanen, who collected a goal and three assists in just 10:43 of ice time in the Avalanche’s 7-3 win against Chicago at the Pepsi Center.

You can read all about MIKKO’S TRIUMPHANT RETURN here.

“You miss a lot of games, you miss playing,” Rantanen said in an interview on Altitude after the second intermission. “I feel good and the team is playing good.”

Rantanen, who hadn’t played since sustaining a lower-body injury Oct. 21 against St. Louis, was held out of the third period because, coach Jared Bednar said, he “tweaked” his leg, was getting tired, and it didn’t make sense to risk making it worse in a game the Avalanche led by five goals.

Rantanen wasn’t in the locker room after the game, presumably to get treatment, but Bednar said he’s “fine.”

We’ll know more Monday when the Avalanche practice after taking Sunday off after playing three games in four days.

Rantanen was on his usual spot with center Nathan MacKinnon, with Joonas Donskoi on left wing as Gabriel Landeskog remains out. MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, Donskoi two goals and two assists.

Nazem Kadri scored two goals and Tyson Jost scored his first in 15 games.

MacKinnon has 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in a seven-game point streak and set an Avalanche record for November with 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists). The previous mark was 23, matched by MacKinnon in 2018-19 and originally set by Peter Forsberg in 1995-96.

He was named the NHL’s Second Star for November. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid was First Star and Chicago’s Patrick Kane Third Star.



“When we get some injuries like this, he’s really put the team on his back,” Bednar said. “He’s been consistently hard and heavy on pucks, he’s using his speed, he’s finding a way to contribute every night, he’s making his linemates better while doing it.

“That’s what you need from your stars, and he’s certainly been the guy who’s been carrying the bulk of the load with some of the guys we’ve had injured.”

McDavid had 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in 14 games in November. Kane had 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in a 15-game point streak.

*****

Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar has been named the NHL Rookie of the Month for November. He led all rookies in goals (seven), points (16), game-winning goals (three), plus/minus (+10) and average ice time (21:25) in 14 games.



Makar became the fifth rookie defenseman in league history to score seven or more goals a month and the first since the New York Rangers’ Brian Leetch in January 1989. He also became the first rookie defenseman with 16 or more points in a month since the Los Angeles Kings’ Alexei Zhitnik in March 1993.

Makar’s three game-winning goals were the most by a rookie defenseman in a month in league history. He leads all NHL rookies in scoring with 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in 26 games.



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