Colorado Avalanche Forward Nathan MacKinnon Needs to Refocus
Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon started the season hot, but now he’s cooled off a bit and needs to refocus his efforts.
Nathan MacKinnon started the season with four points in his first two games for the Colorado Avalanche, while going +2 during that time.
Since then, MacKinnon has two points in five games, and he is a -3.
It’s not all that bad really, he’s the second most productive player on the team with six points in his first seven games.
And, that is only just behind Matt Duchene for team lead in point production.
However, this is supposed to be the big year for MacK, the year where he makes his presence known as one of the most elite players in the game.
So, MacKinnon needs to start producing at a higher rate soon. MacK’s production is also particularly important because the Avalanche can’t keep relying on Duchene to score. They need two top lines that can produce.
Nonetheless, MacKinnon is doing all the right things, and this “slump” if we even want to call it that, should be an extremely temporary thing.
Nathan MacKinnon Leads the team in Shots
MacK has twenty shots on the season, which puts him in the team lead. That’s a position he is comfortable with too because he lead the team in shots last season with 245 even though he missed ten games.
It’s also something I stressed for MacK earlier this year.
So, it’s a good thing he’s started to shoot more, obviously. Now, he just needs to focus on putting the puck in the back of the net. He currently has a dismal shooting percentage of 5%, which is good for not good at all in the league. Still, at least he is shooting the puck. It should start go in soon for him.
And, if he continues to focus on possessing the puck, then he won’t have to worry about point production.
MacK is the Best Possession Forward on the Team
So far this season MacKinnon has maintained the best possession numbers out of any forward on the team that has played all seven games. He is currently sporting a 59.7 percent Corsi-for percentage.
That’s really not all that surprising when you consider the way that MacKinnon has been skating this season, particularly early in the season.
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However, it’s still welcome news, and it’s indicative of the fact that MacKinnon’s “slump” should be a short-lived affair.
Forwards that possess the puck at a high rate like MacKinnon generally put up points. Especially if they have the skill-set MacKinnon has to go along with those possession numbers.
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I am a little nervous about how his new line may impact his possession numbers. However, Mikko Rantanen’s early possession numbers are promising, even if Mikhail Grigorenko’s are a little disheartening.
So, it’s not time to give up on that line yet.
Conclusion
Nathan MacKinnon has been a good forward for the Avalanche so far this year, but I think Avs fans are probably expecting a little more from the kid.
If the numbers are any indication, there’s no reason to worry about MacK’s production yet. He’s been a beast with puck possession, he is leading the team in shots and he has been decent in the face-off dot this season.
Now, it’s just time for MacKinnon to start putting the puck in the back of the net. Hopefully that starts happening against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.
Nathan MacKinnon is the future of this Avs team down the middle, and it’s time for him to start producing like a No. 1 center.
That’s all for today folks, thank you for stopping by.
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