As Team Canada has come away with a victory over Finland on Monday afternoon, we got to see four members of the Colorado Avalanche take part and one former Avs player as well. The current Avalanche players are Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews all for Team Canada, while Arturri Lehkonen and former Avs star Mikko Rantanen suited up for Finland. It was an outstanding game which allowed us to witness the players we know play alongside teammates who are brand new to them.
It’s safe to say that Nathan MacKinnon did not miss a beat Monday, as he earned the #1 star spot as he scored two goals. He could have had another goal to secure a hat trick, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be. His performance Monday was yet another example of the superstar that he is. He’s a type of player who very rarely makes many mistakes. Surprisingly, there didn’t seem to be very many. It’s surprising because some of these players, like I mentioned, don’t normally play alongside each other.
In my opinion, the fact that MacKinnon almost had a hat trick performance is even more amazing because of the type of talents that were on the ice. This was proof that anything can happen in any game, as I’ve said in the past. You’re going against another team with an amazing roster, and yet you have a multi-goal game.
When this tournament is said and done, I’m hoping that more and more people—new fans to hockey—decide that the Avalanche players who played over the last couple of days are worth keeping tabs on for years to come. Not that the Avalanche are in need of more fans, I just think that it would be an amazing opportunity for more people to be more in the know about what this Colorado Avalanche players have to show.
When the 4 Nations Tournament is done, we get back to NHL hockey. The league starts back up on the 22nd, as the Avalanche head to Nashville to take on the Predators. Hopefully it will be like the Avs didn’t miss a beat, and they come away with their third victory in a row. Before the break, they won back-to-back against Calgary and Edmonton.
Colorado is in fourth place in the Central Division, with 68 points. The Winnipeg Jets lead the division with 81 points. There is still a lot of hockey left to play, but if you’re new to hockey, I strongly suggest you flip on an Avalanche game. Trust me, you will be hooked.