15 reasons this NHL season took place in the Upside Down
By Paul Grant
4. Nathan MacKinnon for Hart
Led by a long-anticipated breakout season by center and alternate captain Nathan MacKinnon, that other talented center from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, the Colorado Avalanche surprised everyone except their moms by threatening all season to make the playoffs. In fact, they brought it right down to the wire, sneaking into the postseason on the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference in the dying days of the season.
This startling rally could very well have salvaged the jobs of general manager Joe Sakic and coach Jared Bednar, too. But MacKinnon was the big story this season for the Avs, putting his name on the Hart Trophy ballot as regular-season MVP with a stunning 39-goal, 58-assist, 97-point season.
Twelve power-play goals and an amazing plus-11 on a team that could have been tragically awful is an amazing feat and something few predicted coming into the season.