The Colorado Avalanche and Nathan MacKinnon have one game remaining in the regular season after defeating the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. They wrap up the season on Thursday night against the Seattle Kraken.
Colorado clinched all that they can already (including the Presidents’ trophy, which seems like forever ago), and are just trying to make it through to the postseason as healthy as possible. Nathan MacKinnon is in the lead in goals with 53. While Cole Caufield is right behind him with 51, the Montreal Canadiens have just played their 82nd and final game of the year. The next closest to MacKinnon’s 53 is Connor McDavid’s 48.
The Oilers have one game remaining as well: Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks, who just defeated the LA Kings in overtime on Tuesday night.
Just doing the math, McDavid needs five goals to tie MacKinnon. That is, if MacKinnon remains at 53 following the final game of the year. It’s possible the Avalanche hold MacKinnon out of the final regular season game, but as you can imagine, that would be MacKinnon’s call. I have a feeling that will not happen—not because he cares about the Rocket Richard, but because he’s a competitor who loves the sport he plays.
While some Avs players might miss out on individual awards, MacKinnon appears very likely to win the Rocket.
On Tuesday against the Flames, it was evident that Martin Necas’ teammates were trying their hardest to get him one final point to end the season with 100, for the first time in his career. Thankfully, they were able to do it with an assist off of an empty-net goal by MacKinnon.
Necas was acquired in the trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes last year, while the Avs also got Jack Drury in return. Necas has had a career-year and he’s obviously been one of the hardest working players on the team. It’s been such an incredible thing to witness in his 108 games and-counting for the Avs.
The journey for this Avalanche team is far from over—or at least Avs fans hope it is. We still do not know who they will face in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but we will know at some point here in the forseeable future.
With that being said, MacKinnon and Co. want the postseason to get here already. It’s a long 82-games season which so much more hockey to be played. Just think, next season, the NHL is going to expand to an 84-game season. That’s going to be insane, and tough on these guys. But, we all know that they are made for this sport, so we’ll get to enjoy some extra hockey going forward.
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