Avalanche at Canucks
It looks like Nathan MacKinnon's mind has caught up to his body as the All-Star and Hart Trophy candidate hopes to keep the Colorado Avalanche in Stanley Cup playoff position when they visit the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. MacKinnon told reporters that he thinks "it’s a lot of mental (focus)'' that has helped him accumulate 24 goals and 60 points this season - second only to Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov - while making Colorado relevant again.
“Last year we would have given anything just to be in the mix at this point so we’re not going to take this lightly,” MacKinnon told reporters as the Avalanche finished with 48 points in 2016-17 - nine points fewer than they have with 34 games remaining this season. Colorado is in a virtual four-way tie for the second wild card spot in the Western Conference with Los Angeles, Minnesota and Anaheim, but holds the position by virtue of fewest games played. Vancouver sits 13 points behind that group with little hope of joining the fray despite the play of right wing Brock Boeser, who leads NHL rookies with 24 goals and was named MVP of the All-Star Game on Sunday. The Canucks won all three meetings last season 3-2 - once in a shootout - with Sven Baertschi scoring four of the eight goals.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (27-18-3): MacKinnon's play has raised the games of linemates Mikko Rantanen (47) and Gabriel Landeskog (36), who are second and third on the team in points and tied for second in goals with 17 apiece. Jonathan Bernier (14-9-1, 2.62 goals-against average, .919 save percentage) has filled in admirably for the injured Semyon Varlamov (groin) with a .946 SP in 10 January games, starting all of Colorado's last nine contests. Alexander Kerfoot (12 goals) is having a strong rookie season with 11 of his 20 assists coming on the power play.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (19-24-6): Boeser boasts a team-high 43 points, not including his two goals and an assist that helped him become for the first All-Star Game MVP in club history. "I was definitely nervous coming into it and had some sweat coming down my palms before the shooting contest, but I think once you get here, meet some of the guys, have some laughs, it's easier to enjoy the experience," Boeser told reporters. Henrik and Daniel Sedin are third and fourth on the team with 32 and 30 points behind Thomas Vanek (14 goals, 35 points, minus-16), but the aging twins are a combined minus-29.
OVERTIME
1. The Avalanche own the NHL's second-best penalty-killing unit at 83.8 percent despite allowing three goals in seven chances over their last two games - both losses as they have their first losing streak since dropping four straight in early December.
2. Boeser's entry-level contract is worth $925,000 this season but he earned some $575,000 in bonuses and won a car for his exploits in the All-Star Game that included winning the Shooting Accuracy in the Skills Competition on Saturday.
3. MacKinnon, who has 99 career goals, is one tally and four points shy of achieving career highs previously set in his 2013-14 rookie season.