MacKinnon's 52nd Goal Sends Avalanche to NHL's Top Seed, and the League Should Be Nervous
Nathan MacKinnon just put the final nail in the coffin. The Colorado Avalanche clinched the NHL's top seed for the postseason with a 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, and MacKinnon made sure everyone knew it. His career-high 52nd goal of the season went into an empty net, capping off a performance where he added two assists to boot.
A Historic Run, And It's Not Even Over
Here's what makes this wild: the Avalanche still have four games left on the schedule. With 114 points already locked in, Colorado has a legitimate shot at hitting 120 points for the first time in franchise history. Only 12 teams have ever reached that mark in the NHL, and the most recent was the Bruins in 2022-23 with 135 points. That's elite company.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiThe Presidents' Trophy win is the fourth time Colorado has claimed it, tying them with the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers for second most all-time. Only the Detroit Red Wings have done it more, with six. MacKinnon's 52 wins this season are tied for the second most in Avalanche history, too. The franchise record is 56, set back in 2021-22.
Even Without Their Stars, They're Dominant
Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog also scored in the win, and this came without forward Nazem Kadri (finger injury) and defenseman Cale Makar (upper body). That's the kind of depth that wins Presidents' Trophies. Mackenzie Blackwood was solid in net, stopping 28 shots to keep the Flames off the board until it was too late.
Brent Burns, the 41-year-old defenseman, added an assist to reach 34 points on the season. That ties him with Nicklas Lidstrom for the second-most points in a season by a blueliner age 40 or older in NHL history. At 41 years old. Let that sink in.
The Avalanche are locked in, and with four games to pad their resume, they're going to be the scariest team in the playoffs. Don't sleep on them.
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