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Colorado Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar Honored in November

By Nadia Archuleta

DENVER, CO - APRIL 15: Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates with teammates Gabriel Landeskog #92 and Nathan MacKinnon #29 after scoring his first career NHL goal in his first NHL game against the Calgary Flames in Game Three of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 15, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - APRIL 15: Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates with teammates Gabriel Landeskog #92 and Nathan MacKinnon #29 after scoring his first career NHL goal in his first NHL game against the Calgary Flames in Game Three of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 15, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Colorado Avalanche are getting national recognition largely on the basis of two of their stars, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

Colorado Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both received honors from the NHL for the month of November.

Defenseman Cale Makar led all rookie players — not defensemen — in scoring for November with 16 points. Therefore, he was named Rookie of the Month for November.

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Those 16 points consisted of seven goals and nine assists in 14 games. That’s more than a point a game — for a defenseman. A rookie defensemean.

Indeed, those 16 points were the most by a first-year defenseman in a single month in franchise history — not just Colorado Avalanche history. You have to go all the way back to March of 1980 and the Quebec Nordiques for the record he broke, set by Pierre Lacroix.

What’s more, those 16 points were the third-most for the month of November by any NHL defenseman. His seven goals were the most by any rookie in November.

He tied Sandis Ozolinsh (December 1999), Ray Bourque (March 2000) and Rob Blake (March 2003) for most goals scored by a defenseman in franchise history.

Those are some impressive statistics and some big names. No wonder a lot of fans in Avs Nation are observing that you can’t spell Calder without Cale.
Rookie of the Month for November:


Some video:

Not to be outdone, our superstar, Nathan MacKinnon, also had an impressive month. He recorded 25 points last month. In doing so, he set a franchise record for most points by a player in the month of November.

In the same 14 games as Makar, he recorded 10 goals and 15 assists. Remember, he only played one of those 14 games with his usual wingman, Mikko Ranatanen. Rantanen did earn an assist on MacKinnon’s goal against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Those 25 points are the most from any Avs player in any month since March 200 — when Hall of Famer Joe Sakic recorded 26 points (15 goals, 11 assists).

MacKinnon is a November man. This year marks the third straight year that he’s recorded 20+ points in November.  It’s a personal best for our superstar.

And for the third straight November, he earned a Star of the Month from the NHL. (First Star in 2017, and Second Star in 2018).

Second Star of the Month:


What impressive statistics!

Meanwhile, the All Star voting has opened up. Both MacKinnon and Makar, unsurprisingly, are up for division captains. The Colorado Avalanche Twitter account has exhorted us to vote MacKinnon in:

Well, they got Gabriel Landeskog in last season, so I trust their prowess. So, go to the NHL site daily and vote 10 times for Nate the Great.

December Games to Watch. dark. Next

All right, Colorado Avalanche fans, November has been a shiny month for us in recent years. December can be a little shaky. But with these two driving the bus, I think we’re in good shape.

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