One of the things that sets Nathan MacKinnon apart from many other athletes is his competitive drive. He wants to win and will do whatever it takes to achieve it. If you want to win, you can’t accept losing. A month after the Colorado Avalanche were eliminated from the postseason by the Dallas Stars, MacKinnon is still upset about how it all ended.
The 28-year-old superstar, who will likely win the Hart Trophy next week, spoke on the radio Tuesday, in part to promote Cwench Hydration, created by his longtime trainer Andy O’Brien. While on TSN1050, MacKinnon was asked about his infamous post-game press conference after the Avalanche lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021. You may remember this quote…
If you don’t remember, the Avalanche star said, “Next year I’m going into my ninth year and I haven’t won shit,” when asked about the organization’s future. He is not someone who thinks about the future. He knows that when a team has a chance to win the Stanley Cup, they should take advantage of it.
That’s something he feels this year’s Avalanche team let slip through their fingers.
“It seems like 10 years ago we won now. I might repeat that quote soon,” MacKinnon said. “I think when you feel like you have teams to win and you don’t, it feels like a lost season. This year we feel that way again. I felt like we were good enough to win and we didn’t. “It just leaves a very bitter taste in your mouth.”
MacKinnon is one of those who takes ownership of his work, and on the Jeff Marek Show, he took some of the blame.
“I really want to improve my game, come back better and produce more,” he told Marek. “I didn’t produce as I needed to in that series. It just wasn’t good enough. “I just couldn’t put the puck in the net, it was a tough team, good goalie, but yeah, I had to be better.”
Dallas stopped Colorado’s big guns, which is a big reason they were able to win the series in six games. MacKinnon was “held” to five points in six games and was held scoreless in three of the six games. He talked about the changes he will make this summer to come back even stronger next season.
“I just think there’s always things I can do to get better,” MacKinnon said. “This summer, I plan on skating a little more, just trying to fine-tune my game. I guess I don’t have a specific area, but I think the next year of work before the playoffs, or 10 months, of just fine-tuning my game, working every day, can add up. Hopefully that will lead to better results and better results for the team.”
I guess we’ll see if MacKinnon takes the Hart Trophy next week, but I’m pretty sure he will. I’ll be there live in Las Vegas at the NHL Awards Show with all the coverage.
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