Nathan MacKinnon nets rare natural hat trick, second in Avs history

Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon is at it again.

But this time, he’s making extremely rare Avs history.

MacKinnon posted just the second natural hat trick for Colorado since the franchise relocated from Quebec nearly 30 years ago. A hat trick is when you score three goals in a game. A natural hat trick is three straight tallies, uninterrupted by the other team or your own.

MacKinnon pulled that off against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night, taking the score from 1-0 to 4-0 in a little under seven minutes during the second period. Avalanche legend Joe Sakic is the only other to accomplish the feat for the team, doing it back in 2003 in a game at Columbus.

MacKinnon also broke Sakic’s record for most games in a row at home with a point. MacKinnon now has a point in all 24 Colorado home games this season. Sakic did it in 23 straight games during the 2000-2001 season. Here are the three goals that came back-to-back-to-back.

Is anyone surprised? Halfway through the game and Nathan MacKinnon's got himself a natty hatty. 😤

Hat Trick Challenge presented by @AstraZenecaUS pic.twitter.com/MMHoFWnuL5

— NHL (@NHL) January 25, 2024

MacKinnon is now the favorite to win the Hart Trophy according to NHL writers, and this performance should only help. He’s playing on a different level than anyone in the league, and doing something that no Avs player has done in more than 20 years only validates that further.

The Avalanche were up 4-0 on Washington after two periods, with fellow stars Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen both assisting on at least two of the goals, and Rantanen with a helper on all three.

What a special time to be a hockey fan in the Mile High City. And how lucky the franchise is to have Nathan MacKinnon.

(Update 10:19 p.m.) –

MacKinnon added a fourth goal in the third period, helping Colorado secure a 6-2 win. It’s MacKinnon’s second four goal game of the year, and he’s still the only player in Avalanche history to accomplish that feat.

What a night.

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