Nathan MacKinnon’s Record-Breaking 2023 for the Avalanche & Girard Braces for Return
Goals, Assists, Points are just a few feats that MacKinnon set through the year of 2023 and looking to break more in 2024
Welcome to the THW Colorado Avalanche Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Avalanche writers.
In today’s edition, we have Nathan Mackinnon’s 2023 recap of accomplishments and achievements he broke and seeing Samuel Girard come out of the Players Assistance Program and make his on-ice return soon
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Nathan MacKinnon’s Record-Breaking 2023 for the Avalanche
January 1, 2024 by Stefano Rubino
2023 has already passed; in 2024, the Colorado Avalanche can look back and say they had a decent year. It didn’t go as planned, but overall, it was a solid year for the team. One standout player was Nathan MacKinnon, who had an exceptional year when it came to stuffing the stat sheet, not only across his team records but also across league records. 2023 saw Mackinnon at his best, ending the 2022-23 season on a less-than-high note with a first-round exit against the Seattle Kraken, but Mackinnon has been on a mission to start the 2023-24 season and right his wrongs from last season.
MacKinnon was a factor across the board in every offensive stat possible in 2023, leading not only his team in multiple categories but also across the league or being in the top five in the rankings. He has continued this dominant path into 2024, accomplishing numerous personal titles and breaking a few team records along the way, setting his eyes on more to come. Let’s take a look back at MacKinnon’s 2023 and see how he stacked up against the rest of the league and what he has his eyes set for in 2024.
Avalanche’s Girard Braces for Return
December 29, 2023 by Kerry Collins
This season, the Colorado Avalanche have struggled to build team chemistry with several new players, which has led to inconsistency, and there are a few nagging injuries that haven’t helped either. Many Avalanche faithful unsurprisingly smacked the panic button – even though the team ranks third in the Western Conference and leads the Central Division.
For the past month, defenseman Samuel Girard hasn’t been concerned with any of the drama going on with the team – and it’s because he’s selfish. However, that’s a good thing. Girard stepped away from the team on Nov. 24 to enter the NHL’s Player Assistance Program. After a month away, he’s poised to make his return soon. Not only will the Avalanche welcome the defenseman back, but they should also respect what Girard has done to return.
3 New Year’s Resolutions for the Colorado Avalanche in 2024
December 30, 2023 by Marko Zlomislic
Christmas has come and gone for the Colorado Avalanche, but New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, which means that it’s time for New Year’s resolutions – everyone’s favorite activity around the holidays.
On the surface, there doesn’t appear to be much for the Avalanche to need to change heading into 2024 and the back half of the 2023-24 season. The team owns a 22-11-3 record, which is good for 47 points and first place in the Central Division, though their .653 points percentage (PTS%) places them sixth in the Western Conference.
Going a little deeper, it becomes readily apparent that the Avalanche have things to work on and resolutions to commit to if they are to make a deep playoff run come the spring. Finding ways to increase offense outside of their superstars, playing more responsible hockey with the lead, and solidifying their goaltending situation are all issues that the club must address.
Avalanche’s Toews Gets Team’s Attention
December 21, 2023 by Kerry Collins
The 2023-24 NHL season has been a roller coaster ride for the Colorado Avalanche. A lot of new faces joined the team this offseason, and there was always going to be a learning curve to sort out line combinations and overall chemistry. However, it’s taken a bit longer than the team hoped.
As the calendar is set to flip to 2024, we’re nearly halfway through this NHL season – and Devon Toews, for one, is frustrated. In his fourth season with the Avalanche, the 29-year-old defenseman had some sharp words for his teammates following a lackluster loss to the hapless Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 19. Whether you agree with Toews’ methods or not, the comments should resonate loudly in the Avalanche locker room.