BSN Exclusive: Nathan MacKinnon drops the mic on Canucks, injury skeptics

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – It was, quite probably, the win of the year.

Down three goals in the second period, in the first game of a post-Erik-Johnson-Injury portion of its season, down on their luck, down to only about 22 minutes left in regulation to get something going, the Colorado Avalanche came all the way back to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 in overtime Tuesday night at Rogers Arena.

Nathan MacKinnon’s bomb of a slap shot with 1:14 left in overtime, set up by Tyson Barrie’s FIFTH point of the night, sent the Avs dancing off the ice here, some Cinderella still left in their glass slippers perhaps on this season.

The Avs scored five, count ’em, five, power-play goals. This, from the team that was last in the NHL in road power-play percentage on the season entering this one.

“I’m sure we’re not anymore,” MacKinnon said afterward, a towel draped around his shoulders as he sat relaxed at his stall.

Correct.

There were actually some people who thought MacKinnon might still be favoring that upper-body injury that sidelined him three weeks ago tonight, in this same building, who thought he was passing up shots because it might be too painful to shoot pucks.

Anyone want to ask Canucks goalie Anders Nilsson if MacKinnon was too hurt to shoot? He never saw, or so it seemed, MacKinnon’s bomb from the left circle, which came on Colorado’s final PP of the night after Daniel Sedin was whistled for hooking Tyson Jost behind the Canucks net.

MacKinnon’s response to those who question if he’s 100 percent?

“I had four shots in the first (period), so I don’t know what they’re talking about. I’m 100 percent, I feel great and they should watch more hockey,” MacKinnon told BSN Denver.

The biggest story of the night, though, was the play of Barrie, who earlier in the day discussed his feelings with BSN Denver on his name being mentioned in some recent trade rumors. Barrie scored the goal that tied the game 4-4 with 3:01 left in regulation, a bomb from the point, and gave MacKinnon the crossing pass that was turned into a Cruise Missile.

“That was kind of a play that we try to work where he gives to me and I kind of fake a shot and just give it back to him right away,” Barrie told BSN Denver.

When the Canucks took a 4-1 lead at 15:42 of the second, on a Bo Horvat goal, Barrie recalled a conversation he had with MacKinnon on the bench.

“He said, ‘we can get four on these guys,'” Barrie said.

And so they did.

OTHER NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS

Ever want to see what it’s like right after a win like this, in the hallway of a visiting arena? This Periscope footage I shot gives you an idea:

https://t.co/GN2PcKD9xV

— Adrian Dater (@adater) February 21, 2018

• MacKinnon’s goal was his 25th of the season. Gabe Landeskog got his 20th, a tap-in of a Barrie cross pass that made it 4-3 with 37 seconds left in the second. And, linemate Mikko Rantanen got his 19th, which cut the lead to 4-2. All, of course, came on the power play.
• I thought, for his first game in what seemed like forever, Duncan Siemens did a pretty nice job for the Avs. He played 10:22, alongside David Warsofsky (who played 12:42) and did lots of good things defensively. He even got two shots on net.
• Despite the five points, Barrie still finished a minus-2.
• MacKinnon finished with four points and six shots on net.
• The Avs will take the day off today, with no practice.