The celebrities awakened Tuesday morning earlier than Sport 1 in opposition to Colorado to information that put one other feather in Avalanche ahead Nathan MacKinnon's cap.
MacKinnon was named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the league's most beneficial participant every season. He, Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov have been the three nominees.
The Colorado ahead has been named a finalist for this award 4 instances in his profession, however has by no means gained.
The Stars knew the problem they’d on their arms of their second-round matchup with MacKinnon and your entire Colorado offense, which leads the league with 5.60 targets per sport this postseason. Discovering a method to restrict the Hart Trophy finalist can be key to success within the sequence.
MacKinnon tied the sport with 9 factors (two targets, seven assists) in simply 5 first-round video games with Winnipeg. Within the common season, he completed second within the NHL with 150 factors (51 targets and 89 assists), setting a franchise document. Within the 4 video games in opposition to Dallas, he had three targets and 4 assists.
“He's an important participant who had a unbelievable season,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer mentioned Tuesday. “I really feel like I've coached Colorado to the playoffs yearly between San Jose, Vegas and Dallas. I've seen it lots and it simply retains getting higher and higher. He imposes himself on the sport each time he’s on the ice. He desires the puck on his stick and desires to take management of the sport.”
DeBoer in contrast Colorado to Vegas in that each groups get a lot of their success from the push. He additionally in contrast MacKinnon to Vegas' Jack Eichel, who Dallas had essentially the most bother with within the first spherical, as he had seven factors within the sequence (three targets and 4 assists).
Dallas restricted Vegas' pace sufficient to safe the first-round sequence in seven video games and might want to hold that as a spotlight in Spherical 2. Nonetheless, like Eichel, MacKinnon is somebody who will get his factors. The celebrities simply must restrict that quantity as a lot as doable.
“The perfect factor we will do is attempt to hold the puck out of his arms and defend with numbers,” DeBoer mentioned. “If we play within the offensive zone, then clearly they don't assault. That might be one of the best protection for us.”
MacKinnon is only the start of the problem Colorado poses. Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, Valeri Nichushkin and Devon Toews are different names Stars defenseman Chris Tanev pointed to as gamers they should cap this streak. Doing so would require a workforce effort.
“It's not only one man,” Tanev mentioned. “There are 5 guys which are going to need to work collectively to close these guys down as a result of they’re so good and so expert. We're simply making an attempt to restrict their probabilities as a lot as doable.”
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