Nathan MacKinnon earns career-high 100-point season

Nathan MacKinnon achieved a career-high 100-point season with a game-winning goal in overtime against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

DENVER – Nathan MacKinnon achieved a career-high 100-point season with a game-winning goal in overtime against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

MacKinnon is the first Colorado Avalanche player to hit 100 points in a season since Joe Sakic did in 2006-07. Sakic and Peter Forsberg are the only two other Avalanche players to earn and surpass the century mark since the franchise moved to the Centennial State.

Sakic had three 100-point or more seasons in his career with the team. His highest was the first year the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in the 1995-96 season when he scored 120 points. Sakic’s second-highest season (118 points) was in 2000-01 when the Avs won their second Stanley Cup. He hit 100 exactly in the 2006-07 season. Forsberg notched 116 in the 1996 Stanley Cup year and 106 in 2002-03.

MacKinnon’s accomplishment is not only impressive in stature but even more notable in that he hit 100 in fewer games than all but two other players on the 100-point plus list. 

“Nate, 100 points for the first time in his career. Been close a couple times so I’m sure he’s really happy about that,” coach Jared Bednar said after the win in San Jose. “He’s had some big efforts here recently, another three-point night from him tonight. Really happy to see him hit that one.”

MacKinnon has seven points in the last five games and has continued to produce at a higher level for the majority of the season. He missed 11 games due to injury but always puts in 100% every game.

Bednar has mentioned in the recent past how MacKinnon steps up and the more important the game, the better he plays. And that he has a knack for taking it to the next level in big games. 

MacKinnon's full-throttle approach is what helped get the team into the playoffs as they officially clinched a spot with the win in San Jose. But it's not just him, it's a full team effort. 

"We feel like we're pretty dangerous once we get our full lineup back," MacKinnon said. "Even now, I think we're good enough to win."