Nathan MacKinnon became the latest NHL player to reach the 1,000-point plateau on Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks. He is the 100th player to have reached that milestone in NHL history.
MacKinnon recorded his 1,000th point with a secondary assist, his 74th helper of the campaign. He added his 75th assist about three minutes later. He’s now up to 27 goals and 102 points with the Avalanche this season and improving his case for the Hart Trophy by the day, even after longtime linemate Mikko Rantanen was traded twice.
Within the first minute of the third period, MacKinnon carried the puck from behind the opposition’s net to the blueline before dropping the puck off with defenseman Devon Toews. Toews fired the puck toward the net where left winger Artturi Lehkonen deflected the puck in.
It even looked like MacKinnon set the milestone earlier in the game after setting up Martin Necas. His teammates cleared the benches to celebrate with him in the first period, but the Blackhawks won a coach’s challenge for an offside, and the goal was overturned.
MacKinnon is now the 10th active player to have 1,000 career points. It took the 29-year-old 12 seasons and 856 games to reach this milestone.
On Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, MacKinnon also became the first player this season to score 100 points in a two-goal performance. He’s reached the century mark for the third-straight season, following a career-high 140 points last season that earned him his first Hart Trophy.
MacKinnon is making a strong case to take home the Hart Trophy for a second-straight season. Even after the Avalanche traded away Rantanen, the Nova Scotian remains the league leader in points.
A player has never won back-to-back Hart Trophies since Alex Ovechkin in 2009. Up to this point, not even Sidney Crosby nor Connor McDavid have achieved that.
Speaking of McDavid, he was the last player to reach 1,000 points. He achieved this feat in November.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
