MacKinnon Scores #30 against Minnesota
As I mentioned previously, Nathan MacKinnon blasted his previous career bests last season. One of those career bests was goals. His previous top number was 24, scored his rookie season.
On March 2, 2018 in Pepsi Center, Nathan MacKinnon recorded his 30th goal of a season for the first time in his NHL career.
The goal comes midway through the first period with the Colorado Avalanche up by one and on the power play. (Eric Staal crosschecked Tyson Barrie.)
The first power play unit is set up in Minnesota’s zone. Barrie is quarterbacking, and he funnels the puck to Rantanen. Unless you’re Blake Comeau on a breakaway, it’s always a smart idea to get MacKinnon the puck, which is what Rantanen does.
MacKinnon settles the puck, and then it’s just him and Devan Dubnyk. MacKinnon unleashes a heavy wrister. Dubnyk see him and sees the puck…. as it sales over his glove and into the net:
Any time a Colorado Avalanche scores a goal against the (hated) Minnesota Wild, it’s a thing of beauty. MacKinnon doing so to earn his first-ever 30th goal makes it all the prettier. The fact that’s it’s just a pretty goal on its own is icing on the cake.
It was also the game-winner since Colorado won 7-1.
Nathan MacKinnon decides not to rest on his laurels and does this:
Yep, MacKinnon just decided to score on the Minnesota Wild again so he finished the game with 31 goals on the season.