Colorado Avalanche: Top 5 Moments of 2014-15 Season

2. Nathan MacKinnon’s first career NHL hat-trick

Feb 22, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates his hat trick goal with left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) in the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

It’s always fun seeing the hats fly on the ice. Especially in the home arena.

Avalanche fans hadn’t witnessed a hat-trick since November of 2011, when Matt Duchene had his first career 3-goal night. They hadn’t witnessed one at the Pepsi Center since March of 2010, when Chris Stewart got one.

For MacKinnon, it was fun to see him smiling again. The Calder trophy winner hadn’t had the scoring touch everyone was hoping for in his sophomore season. His February 22nd performance against the Lightning showcased that the dynamic player we all know and love is in there, and it busted out in a big way.

MacKinnon wowed us with speed and finishing ability on the first goal. He showed off his reflexes and hand-eye coordination on goal number two. His third goal was a bit of an encore. MacK was sprung for a breakaway by his buddy, Ryan O’Reilly. Nate the Great was precise and didn’t miss. He wasn’t particularly flashy, but had that goal-scorers vibe. I’m gonna get you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

The Avalanche ended up beating the Lightning 5-4 on this night. Unfortunately, MacKinnon went down with a broken foot a few days after this game. At least he gave us a great memory before the bad luck struck!