Nathan MacKinnon: 100 points in his last 76 (regular season) games.

[Not My Tempo]

Mackinnon used to go 100% every shift, and I actually find that he now is okay changing the pace that he plays with. He doesn’t overskate picks anymore and is always in the right position. Dudes the real deal

 

[jvcjdudu jcycyxjene]

Auston Matthews.

 

[Lemonlimey]

My main problem with the way people think is that they believe that unless you come right out of the gate blazing, you can't sustain a high peak if you hit it. Not everything is linear.

Well said, except its even more annoying then that, as Mackinnon actually DID come out of the gates blazing, winning the Calder and was far and away best player of the first round those NHL playoffs

 

[CraigBillington]

It isn’t on us to prove that our guy that got 97 points at 22 is really good. You’re the one with a minority viewpoint here. You prove it to us.

If you think MacKinnon is remotely comparable to guys like Foligno or Hudler you’re in for a rude awakening.

Because development is linear and it's not possible to progress outside of those lines. Clearly .

 

[klozge]

Mackinnon used to go 100% every shift, and I actually find that he now is okay changing the pace that he plays with. He doesn’t overskate picks anymore and is always in the right position. Dudes the real deal

It's a long season and it's okay to save up some energy. On the other hand I think he's overdoing the energy saving a bit these days, especially defensively.

 

[hooverdam]

Right now MacKinnon's reminding me a bit of some of Crosby and Malkin's best years, when they're not playing super well (by their standards) and still just pick up points in every game. The best players in the league do that. If he kicks it up a notch...geez.

There's also a certain arrogance about him this year that I really find funny. You know how some baseball players hit a home run and then look disgusted, like "how dare you throw that terrible pitch, what did you think I was going to do with it?" Mack had the same look after his second goal on Hutton last night, it was hilarious. I like that he has more personality than his mentor, it's good for the league. Especially with all the media attention going up north, he can get away with more of this stuff and have fun with it. Good stuff.

 

[SaltySkywalker]

Auston Matthews.

GTFO of here.

 

[jvcjdudu jcycyxjene]

Idk guys 9 goals and 12 points in 5 games... those numbers are generational.

 

[Goulet17]

Idk guys 9 goals and 12 points in 5 games... those numbers are generational.

You should start a thread about him and what he is doing. I am surprised more people are not talking about it, particular among Toronto fans.

 

[jvcjdudu jcycyxjene]

You should start a thread about him and what he is doing. I am surprised more people are not talking about it, particular among Toronto fans.

Easily the most underrated player in the league, despite only coming once every generation.

 

[The Merchant]

 

[Makar Goes Fast]

My main problem with the way people think is that they believe that unless you come right out of the gate blazing, you can't sustain a high peak if you hit it. Not everything is linear. Thornton took a while to get going and he still has the highest points in a single season post 2007, no? Mackinnon changed the way he plays. No longer does he just go full speed all the time. His speed alone will generate chances, he is a shot generating machine and also an underrate passer. Even if regresses a bit at 5v5, I expect that to be made up on the PP. For my money, I think he's going to consistently be a 85+ point player for the rest of his career until his decline.

hey look someone who has seen mackinnon before last year and understands what changed.

 

[Apotheosis]

hey look someone who has seen mackinnon before last year and understands what changed.

I am a Leafs fan first, but hockey fan since I was young as could be. I love the amount of talent in the league right now. Any Avs fan could see he had a high ceiling. My main gripe with him was that he seemed to always feel that he had to rush the puck up the ice at top speed and there was no other way to do anything. The funny thing is, that can work a good amount of the time just because of how fast he is. But now finding a new level in pacing and knowing when to burst and when to slow down is a whole new level of "holy crap how do I stop this guy". One moment he'll be level with you as he skates the puck, and on the drop of a dime he'll be blitzing towards the net and there's no way any D is pivoting backwards fast enough to catch Mack.