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Oops, he did it again!
Nathan MacKinnon has gone and created a hockey buzz that is spreading across North America from sea to shining sea!
Nathan MacKinnon notched three beautiful assists in Colorado's 5-4 OT win in Game 1. On Saturday night in Game 2, MacKinnon dominated the Wild by scoring a sexy goal and adding three more assists for a four-point virtuoso performance. Thus, Jeremy Roenick said on live TV that he thought that MacKinnon is having a more "dominant" season as an 18 year old in the NHL than Sidney Crosby had not so long ago.
Heady stuff to be certain.
Thanks, NBC Sports Network
Far be it from me to put words in JR's mouth, but, I think what he was trying to say is this:
In his first two NHL playoff games, MacKinnon has scored 7 points, while Crosby collected just five points in his first five NHL playoff games.
Here are the rookie season statistics of MacKinnon and Crosby:
Sid The Kid: 39G, 73A, 102 points in 81 games played.
Nate The Great: 24G, 42A, 64 points in 82 games played.
Whether you place MacKinnon in the same echelon as Crosby or not, you have to marvel at his sheer brilliance, poise, skill and domination inside games. Its truly a sight to behold to watch such a young kid wreak havoc on opponents in the best league in the world at such a young age.
Here's proof that MacKinnon and Crosby are cut from the same hockey cloth.
Thank you Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia for producing these two amazingly talented hockey players.
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Poor Jared Spurgeon. The diminutive D of the Minnesota Wild heretofore will be known in hockey lore as the burn victim who stopped, dropped, and rolled after Nathan MacKinnon's sick skill and speed cause him to spontaneously combust. The NHL should just hand MacKinnon the Rookie Of The Year trophy now. Watch as he takes the puck 180 feet for a masterful goal.
That ladies and gentleman is the first of many NHL playoff goals for the 18 year old wizard.
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Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock had every right to be agitated during his post game comments after his team defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in to take a commanding 2-0 lead. The series now shifts back to ChiTown.
The NHL has scheduled phone hearing with Seabrook on Sunday, which incidentally is Seabrook's 29th birthday. Seabrook received a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct at 15:09 of the third period for his hit on Backes, who was helped off the ice and was unable to return to the game. The Blues scored the tying goal with Seabrook in the penalty box and won the game 4-3 in overtime.
The following grounds for the proposed supplemental discipline are being considered: interference/charging. However, the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to these infractions accordingly upon further review.
It stands to reason that Hitchcock and his Blues players want to see Brent Seabrook suspended from Game 3 and perhaps longer for his gratuitous head shot on Blues captain David Backes.
Hitch did his dead level best to keep his mouth shut and not to throw gasoline on the Seabrook fire.
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What the in the hell was Brent Seabrook thinking smoking David Backes' head off the end glass?
The Blackhawks D rightfully earned a five-minute major and game misconduct for charging St. Backes.
Thanks, NBC Sports Network
You better believe that Blues GM Doug Armstrong will be lobbying hard for a suspension to be handed to Seabrook for his gratuitous head shot on the Blues captain.
Backes wanted to get to his skates and tear Seabrook a new one after the hit, however, was knocked stiff and silly.
That's got to be a major concussion that Backes has suffered.
NHL.com reports that Seabrook was in a defensive posture after the game when he was asked about his freight-training of Backes.
"I was just trying to make a play on Backes,” Seabrook said. “I thought the puck was there … I just tried to finish my hit. We’ll see what happens. I feel bad seeing a guy like that on the ice. I’ve been there myself. I’m not trying to target his head. I’m not trying to do anything like that. It doesn’t feel good to see a player like that lying there like that, knowing that I hit him.
“It wasn’t my intent. It was hit … it’s a physical series. Hits have been laid like that from both sides the whole series. I hope Backes is feeling alright and I hope he’s doing OK. I guess that’s all I can say.”
Vlad Tarasenko of the Blues tied the game in the dying moments of regulation.
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