DENVER (AP) 鈥� Nathan MacKinnon is known for his speed and his scoring. He can deliver some big hits, too.
The crunched Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes and Matt Boldy in the third period as part of a big game where he scored a goal and notched two assists.
Just Nate being playoff Nate.
He downplayed the hits in Game 2 on Tuesday night gave Colorado a 2-0 lead in the second-round series with the Wild. He was modest about his offensive production as well.
鈥淛ust excited to play,” said MacKinnon, who scored a league-leading 53 goals in the regular season. 鈥淧layoff hockey, obviously, the best the time of year. Just excited and just trying to have a good start.鈥�
MacKinnon joined some exclusive company with his third straight three-point playoff game. The only players to accomplish that feat over the last 40 years are Leon Draisaitl (2022), Mikko Rantanen (2025), Joe Pavelski (2010), Joe Sakic (1997) and Dennis Maruk (1986), according to NHL Stats.
鈥淗e was unbelievable tonight on both sides of the puck,鈥� Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. 鈥淭he physicality, the defending details, the hunger to check pucks back in all three zones, and the speed and pace that he played with early in the game 鈥� it was like he was shot out of a cannon.鈥�
His teammates concurred.
鈥淗aving Nate makes my job a lot easier, for sure,鈥� captain Gabriel Landeskog said. 鈥淗e’s our driving force offensively and tonight, really since the playoffs started, defensively, he’s been a beast as well.鈥�
MacKinnon was credited with two hits in the game 鈥� one on Hughes, which knocked the talented defenseman to the ice, and another on Boldy, who went hard into the boards.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 that big of a hit,鈥� MacKinnon said of his collision with Hughes. “He鈥檚 one of the best players in the world and he鈥檚 so hard to contain and you鈥檙e just trying to do the best that you can. He鈥檚 going to create a lot of stuff. I think everyone鈥檚 being more physical. The whole team is trying to ramp that up.鈥�
The Wild head home for Game 3 on Saturday searching for answers. They tried a new goaltender for Game 2 鈥� going with Filip Gustavsson over Jesper Wallstedt 鈥� but the Avalanche still scored five goals. That, coupled with their nine-goal spurt in Game 1, gives them 14 for the series. It’s the most in the first two games of a playoff series since the Calgary Flames had 15 against the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a great team. They play super-fast, super-dynamic,鈥� Boldy said. “Obviously, they have some incredible players. The biggest thing is just staying above them and not giving them those odd-man rushes, because obviously they’re pretty special players make special plays.鈥�
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AP NHL playoffs: and
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