Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon earns Jared Bednar’s praise after breaking out of slump appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Colorado Avalanche are moving on to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They won 5-1 in Game 4 over the Los Angeles Kings . And to their relief, superstar Nathan MacKinnon came alive for the Avalanche. He scored twice and added an assist to lead the way in Game 4.
MacKinnon having a multi-point game is certainly no uncommon occurrence. He is one of the best players in the world, and a favorite to win the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP. However, he didn’t produce much in the first three games. In fact, he only recorded one assist before Game 4.
A lot of players would be frustrated with the lack of production. Especially players with the sort of track record MacKinnon has. But Bednar mentioned on Sunday that frustration never set in for the Avalanche superstar.
“I didn’t see any frustration from him at all, like when it comes to not producing through the first three games that he would normally produce, and that kind of tells me where our team is at,” Bednar said, via NHL.com.
“I just think you’re not going to be able to completely shut him down all the time. And when you need something big to happen, those players tend to show up, as he did tonight,” Bednar continued.
The Avalanche await the winner of the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild . That series is tied 2-2 after the Wild won Game 4 on Saturday night. Dallas and Minnesota will take the ice for Game 5 on Tuesday night in Dallas.
Related: Nathan MacKinnon’s 2-goal effort seals 1st-round sweep of Kings
Related: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog’s immediate reaction to 3-0 series lead vs. Kings

