Colorado‘s Nathan MacKinnon became the first NHL player this season to reach 50 goals when his liner from up top beat Vancouver goaltender Kevin Lankinen early in the first period on Wednesday night.
He celebrated the goal with a little extra flair, too, sliding on his right knee while pumping his right glove. That was pretty much the highlight for the Avalanche, whose rally from a four-goal deficit fell short in an 8-6 loss to the Canucks.
It’s the second 50-goal campaign of MacKinnon’s career. He became the third player in Colorado/Quebec history to notch multiple 50-goal seasons, joining Hall of Famers Joe Sakic (twice) and Michel Goulet (four).
MacKinnon also joins Milan Hejduk (2002-03) as the only skaters in franchise history to hit the 50-goal mark first during an NHL season.
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