Nathan MacKinnon called out fans, and he's not wrong

The Colorado Avalanche are now 2-0-1 after suffering a 5-4 shootout loss against the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena last night. The Avalanche controlled much of the game and had a plethora of quality looks but struggled to get it past Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger. But just as last year's playoff loss to the Stars, the Avalanche struggled to score on the power play, despite getting ample opportunities.

The fans showed their disappointment by booing the team during the power play. The Avalanche did get on the board with the man-advantage, with a goal by Nathan MacKinnon on the back half of a double-minor penalty. That goal tied the game at four and sent the game to overtime. MacKinnon was asked about the power play, which went 1-for-5, and had something to say about the fans response.

Why MacKinnon's comments are justified

While I am concerned about the power play just like other fans, I agree with MacKinnon on this. The Avalanche’s power play looked awesome last night. They kept the puck moving, took shots instead of waiting for lanes to open, and generated multiple quality scoring chances. Over their five power play opportunities, which includes a double-minor penalty, they had 12 shots on goal and a MacKinnon tip-in attempt that hit the post. The puck movement during the double minor created the outstanding chance that led to MacKinnon's goal.

The Avs‘ power play looked much better than they did over the first two games, where they seemed to be all kinds of disconnected. With players like MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Cale Makar on the power play, these Avs are going to convert, but with a new system because of new offensive assistant coach Dave Hakstol, there have been some adjustments to be made. I've noticed passes being behind players or too far in front. The timing is just a little bit off, and the chemistry is there but it hasn't quite materialized into goals.

Fans just need to be patient

I do understand the frustrations, as I've too often yelled "shoot the puck!" far too often at my television in recent years, but I feel that this year looks different. No matter the talent on the roster, learning a new scheme on the power play is no easy task. They are utilizing a completely different formation going from the common 1-3-1 to more of a 2-1-2 setup. I say give them 10 or 12 games before we fans start hitting the panic button.

It's too early in the season for the fans to be booing the Avalanche, considering we're only three games in, AND we're 2-0-1. Fans understandably want results, especially on the power play. But Nathan MacKinnon definitely has a point.