Avalanche fans were restless during their matchup against the Dallas Stars, frustration boiled over as the crowd booed their own team—right in the middle of a power play. Despite generating plenty of offense, Colorado ultimately fell 5-4 in a shootout. The Avalanche had five power plays in the game and scored only once—on the final attempt—thanks to Nathan MacKinnon. But it wasn’t the goal or even the loss that made headlines. It was what MacKinnon said afterward.
And the truth is, he has a point. With Cale Makar quarterbacking, Martin Necas in the slot, and Artturi Lehkonen net-front, this power play unit is one of the most dangerous in the league. Against Dallas, they created plenty of quality looks, but the finish just wasn’t there—and the home crowd grew impatient fast.
MacKinnon clearly isn’t willing to let fans turn on the team after a few missed opportunities. His comments sounded like a reminder: the Avalanche are one of the NHL’s offensive powerhouses, and even a well-executed power play doesn’t guarantee a goal every time.
In a franchise with such high expectations, anything short of a win feels like failure. When you have elite talent like MacKinnon, Makar, and Necas, fans expect fireworks every night. But that level of star power also brings enormous pressure—on the ice and in the stands.
Speaking to the media, the superstar didn’t hold back and delivered a blunt message to the fans:
“I know we got booed. I guess they don’t really know what a good power play looks like. We had an awful lot of chances, but the puck just wouldn’t go in.”
A classic no-nonsense response from MacKinnon—direct and honest.
What should’ve been a routine regular-season game turned into a mini showdown between the Avs’ best player and their own fanbase. And, as he often does, MacKinnon made his statement first with his stick… and then with his words.