It took until the end of March, but Nathan MacKinnon finally didn’t record a point in a home game this season. The superstar for the Colorado Avalanche was held off the scoresheet in Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers, halting his home points streak at 35 games.
It was a definite run for the record books, since the streak was the second-longest in NHL history – behind Wayne Gretzky’s 40-game streak in the 1988-89 campaign. During the streak, MacKinnon scored 29 goals and totaled 77 points, and there were a lot of meaningful highlights along the way. Here’s a look at some of those highlights – and a glimpse behind the numbers – of MacKinnon’s historic run.
MacKinnon’s Run About More Than Consistency
A player doesn’t score a point in 35 consecutive home games without consistency, but a deeper look shows that MacKinnon’s most recent streak was downright bonkers. He had nine games where he scored at least three points – and tallied a pair of four-goal games in the run. The points were coming in bunches. Out of the streak’s 35 games, he scored multiple points in 25 of them.
One of the most telling numbers about MacKinnon’s impressive run was that he only had one patch where he went multiple games with only one point. That blip on the radar was a three-game spell in early January when he managed just one assist in each of those contests. Other than that, he hasn’t had back-to-back home games without multiple points over the other 32 contests. That’s an outlandish testament to what he’s been able to do during this run.
Related: Avalanche’s MacKinnon Keeps Chasing History
If MacKinnon never scored a point away from Ball Arena this season, he’d still be just one point away from landing in the NHL’s top 20 scorers this season. Avalanche teammate Cale Makar and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby are tied for 19th at 78 points apiece entering Saturday’s (March 30) games. The glut of points at home has been particularly stellar. The 77 points at home is already a franchise record, and is the most in the NHL in nearly 30 years. In 1995-96, Mario Lemieux had 104 points at home and teammate Jaromir Jagr had 83 for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
What the Streak Meant for Colorado
The Avalanche are a league-best 28-7-1 at home this season, and MacKinnon has been a huge part of it. In his 25 multi-point games at home, the Avalanche are 22-3. However, he did more than just pile up a bunch of points (and wins). The timing of some of his impressive performances helped propel the Avs to that sparkling record at Ball Arena.
Colorado has been a juggernaut when trailing this season with a whopping 25 come-from-behind victories in 2023-24. The most recent was a 5-4 overtime win over the Penguins on March 24 when the Avalanche were down by four goals. MacKinnon drove the comeback, notching a goal and two assists – all in the third period or overtime – to lead the way. Jonathan Drouin was the recipient of both assists. He tallied two goals, including the game-winner.
Related: Nathan MacKinnon’s Record-Breaking 2023 for the Avalanche
Some of his most vital performances have come at home. With Colorado losing two of three during a tight stretch in December, MacKinnon scored four goals in a five-point night against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 21. Down 4-3 entering the third, he rang up two goals and an assist in the final stanza to lift the Avs to a 6-4 win. That propelled the Avs on a 7-1-1 surge that got them back in the thick of the Western Conference race. He also had back-to-back four-point nights in early March that started a nine-game winning streak.
MacKinnon Likely Isn’t Done Yet
Just because the streak has ended doesn’t mean MacKinnon is finished. Along with the second-longest home points streak in NHL history, he also has two separate 19-game point streaks in this season alone. He’s the first person to accomplish that in NHL history. His 122 points are already a franchise record for a season, and he still has nine games left to play. Odds are he’s not done scoring, and he may even fire up another scoring streak before the playoffs start.
Even though the streak ended, it wasn’t without drama, as MacKinnon looked like he assisted on Devon Toews’ game-tying goal in the third period. However, the official scorers ruled that the puck was last touched by New York’s Ryan Lindgren before entering the net, negating the assist as it was ruled an own goal by Lindgren. A bad bounce, for sure, but MacKinnon likely won’t slow down. There are only 11 games this season – home or away – where he failed to register a point.
Related: McDavid vs. MacKinnon Art Ross Trophy Race Key to Big Matchup
There’s no secret that MacKinnon is the straw that stirs the drink for Colorado, and it’s why he’s one of the favorites to win the Hart Trophy this season. While winning the award would be a great milestone, he and Avs have their sights set on bigger things than individual accolades. There’s still plenty of hockey to be played, but his rampant dominance has been one of the NHL’s top storylines all season. After posting his first 100-point season a year ago, he’s only gotten better. Colorado’s in a battle with the Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars for the top record in the Western Conference, but if MacKinnon gets on another scoring tear in the postseason, it might not matter where they’re seeded.
