Nathan MacKinnon

Connor McDavid has reached new heights in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Same goes for Nathan MacKinnon. Despite the good vibes of conquering past ...

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The 2022 Western Conference Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche will feature two of the most prolific scorers in the National Hockey ...

In series wins over the Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames, the 25-year-old had scored seven goals and 26 points in 12 games. McDavid has scored 18 goals and 48 points in 33 career playoff games. Despite trailing the all-time series, MacKinnon has out-produced McDavid in their matchups, scoring 25 points over 14 games, while McDavid registered 16.

If it's speed and end-to-end rushes that get your blood flowing, the semifinal series between the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers is sure to spike .

MacKinnon is in his ninth NHL season and McDavid his seventh. McDavid produced four assists in the head-to-head meetings and MacKinnon had three goals and two assists. This is the deepest both MacKinnon and McDavid have gone in the playoffs in their careers. "Sometimes we take a lot of line rushes against Nate in practice and you're kind of like 'Whoa, this is what this feels like.' It's a handful," Colorado defenceman Erik Johnson told NHL.com. "They're always going to make plays and find a way to generate chances, just how many are you going to let them have and how many are they going to generate? "Obviously Connor and Nathan are two of the players that can do things at such a high level," Oilers general manager Ken Holland told NHL.com. "Not only can they play at high speed, they can think at high speed. He's tied with longtime running mate Leon Draisaitl for the league scoring lead with 26 points in 12 games and is also at the peak of his powers. We feel if we play our best, we can get it done against anybody." Same thing with Connor. I'm sure you're backpedalling when those players bring it through the neutral zone at high tempo and do things at high tempo. Got to stay out of the box as well, but we're confident. Obviously, that's probably changing now, but a really tough team to play against. He'll be a handful, but nothing we can't handle." Wow.— The Puck Authority (@PuckAuthority1) #LetsGoOilers #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Zi3mLoKstG May 27, 2022

You've got a supporting cast of Leon Draisaitl, Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman against Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem ...

Smith, who is 40 years old, is playing some of this best hockey with a .927 save percentage and two shutouts so far. The Avalanche own the best power play. Like Boston’s Brad Marchand, he’s also plenty skilled enough that he can back up his words with his play. Makar, who scored 28 goals this season, has been Colorado’s workhorse in the playoffs, where he’s averaged 26 minutes and 42 seconds in ice time. Article content And keep in mind, he’s a defenceman. McDavid led the NHL with 123 points this season. Article content Article content That’s one way to describe the Western Conference final. Article content Article content

DENVER (AP) — This Western Conference final is shaping up to be a high-scoring clash. The Colorado Avalanche and the Edmonton Oilers are each averaging more ...

Game 1 will be in Denver on Tuesday. DENVER (AP) — This Western Conference final is shaping up to be a high-scoring clash. The Oilers have forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Avs boast forward Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar.

NHL Western final will showcase how the superstars combined natural ability, explosiveness, creativity to take their games to highest level.

The fifth-round pick only projects as a third-pairing, left-shot defenceman in the NHL. He had 11 points (4-7) in 59 games this season with the Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga. OVERTIME — The Canucks announced Monday a revamping of their player development program, with the additions of ex-Canucks and Detroit Red Wings winger Mikael Samuelsson and former longtime NHL defenceman Mike Komisarek to the club. MacKinnon, 26, is in that category and keeps working at his craft. Some guys start up on their toes and some use their whole blade — it depends where the strength in the body or the legs is coming from.” “I would love the opportunity to skate him, so I could get a better idea,” instructor Kathy McLlwain, who works with Bo Horvat in the off-season, said Monday from London, Ont. “He’s special. Fast forward and it led to a career high and league-leading 123 points (44-79) this season and worldwide acclaim as the game’s best player. He had another gear and a way of doing everything at top speed. On Feb. 26, 2018, he had two goals, one assist, nine shots and 19 attempts in a 3-1 triumph over the visiting Canucks. It’s a killer combo.” For every night they held McDavid in check, there was another where the Edmonton Oilers’ captain left them in his wake with another multi-point reminder. Article content Article content

It's rare for two powerhouse offensive teams like the Avalanche and Oilers to meet in later rounds of the postseason, when they're also pacing the playoff field ...

"It's a fun challenge for sure," he said. "I think we're just excited," Makar said. They're both such electric players and McDavid's been the driving force for them as well as their other their other top guys. "They're a good team over there," McDavid said. They've got some real good players and they're really good all around." I think he's been the best for a little bit now and it's going to take a full team effort to stop him."

As expected, Connor McDavid vs. Nathan MacKinnon is the biggest storyline heading into the Western Conference finals. Two of the biggest names in the NHL ...

Game 1 of the Avalanche vs. Two of the biggest names in the NHL are about to go head-to-head with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. Per Escrow.com, it's "a financial arrangement where a third party holds and regulates payment of the funds required for two parties involved in a given transaction. He has come up huge in both of Edmonton's series-clinching wins; he registered a goal and an assist in Game 7 against the Kings and scored the OT winner in Game 5 against the Flames. This is the first time either superstar will be playing in the conference finals. Nathan MacKinnon is the biggest storyline heading into the Western Conference finals.

Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson called it a “dream matchup” — an individual showdown of superstar centers that will take the Western Conference Finals to a ...

I think for the league, if you’re a fan of the game, you’re going to enjoy this series. He finished with 12 points (three goals) in the “Battle of Alberta.” “It’s a team effort to defend (McDavid,),” Avs defenseman Devon Toews said. I said it (previously),” MacKinnon said of McDavid on Monday. “I think he’s been the best for a little bit now and it’s going to take a full team effort to stop him. And both are just now reaching the peak of their powers with enough talent around them to win the Stanley Cup. “They are two of the best players and there’s a lot of media spotlight,” said Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and first-ballot Hall of Famer. “You’re going to see that here. He skates real well, strong, plays the game at a top speed all the time and makes it tough to defend.” “This series will be a totally different theme as compared to the Crosby/Ovie matchup,” TSN analyst Darren Pang told The Post. “Crosby didn’t take faceoffs and really didn’t go head to head with OV, being a winger. The prize: A chance to play for the Stanley Cup. It’s great for the fans. Crosby’s Penguins went on to defeat Ovechkin’s Capitals 2-1 in Game 7 en route to winning the Stanley Cup. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. Two of the world’s best centers competing in the same Stanley Cup playoff series for the first time.

DENVER, Colo. — If you ask around, you'll find that the two people who are the most tired of hearing about Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid are Nathan ...

Moving forward, he’s going to be a big piece for us.” “It’s exciting,” said Colorado general manager Joe Sakic. “He’s been here a long, long time. The Oilers are also better equipped to deal with MacKinnon because they see McDavid in practice every day. “Yeah, obviously there’s a lot of similarities between MacKinnon and McDavid,” said Avs defenceman Cale Makar. “But at the same time, they’re very different playing styles. So, how much does competing against MacKinnon every day in practice prepare Colorado for McDavid? One of the players who isn’t McDavid that the Avalanche are concerned about is Evander Kane, who had a massive impact in both the Los Angeles and Calgary series. “Hopefully that gets more viewers and lowers escrow, but other than that, I don’t care.” Article content “But they’re deeper than teams give them credit for. Article content Article content Article content

As expected, Connor McDavid vs. Nathan MacKinnon is the biggest storyline heading into the Western Conference finals. Two of the biggest names in the NHL ...

Game 1 of the Avalanche vs. Two of the biggest names in the NHL are about to go head-to-head with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. Per Escrow.com, it's "a financial arrangement where a third party holds and regulates payment of the funds required for two parties involved in a given transaction. He has come up huge in both of Edmonton's series-clinching wins; he registered a goal and an assist in Game 7 against the Kings and scored the OT winner in Game 5 against the Flames. This is the first time either superstar will be playing in the conference finals. Nathan MacKinnon is the biggest storyline heading into the Western Conference finals.

The two superstars will battle it out in the Western Conference finals with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line.

The bottom line is that, for as good a player as MacKinnon is, there's simply no one in the NHL right now who can match what McDavid brings to the table. McDavid had a rating of 14 while MacKinnon was at 9. MacKinnon clocked a time of 13.895 seconds, but McDavid was faster with a time of 13.215 seconds. McDavid utilizes his wheels to bring the puck into the offensive zone far more often than anyone in the league. The Athletic's models had MacKinnon with a 4.6 rating while McDavid was given a 1.5 rating. A player can be the world's fastest skater, but they're useless using that speed with the puck on their stick, then what's the good of that? MacKinnon and McDavid competed in the Fastest Skater competition at the 2020 NHL All-Star Skills event. According to The Athletic's GSVA models, MacKinnon had a clear advantage in defensive rating. McDavid's 0.99 assists per game is the second-highest rate of his career, with last year's 1.29 a pretty tough career best to exceed. MacKinnon had 32 goals in 65 games, a rate of 0.49 goals per game. McDavid had 44 goals in 80 games this season, 0.55 goals per game. McDavid's Oilers are set to square off against MacKinnon's Avalanche for a chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson called it a “dream matchup” — an individual showdown of superstar centers that will take the Western Conference Finals to a ...

I think for the league, if you’re a fan of the game, you’re going to enjoy this series. He finished with 12 points (three goals) in the “Battle of Alberta.” “It’s a team effort to defend (McDavid,),” Avs defenseman Devon Toews said. I said it (previously),” MacKinnon said of McDavid on Monday. “I think he’s been the best for a little bit now and it’s going to take a full team effort to stop him. And both are just now reaching the peak of their powers with enough talent around them to win the Stanley Cup. “They are two of the best players and there’s a lot of media spotlight,” said Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and first-ballot Hall of Famer. “You’re going to see that here. He skates real well, strong, plays the game at a top speed all the time and makes it tough to defend.” “This series will be a totally different theme as compared to the Crosby/Ovie matchup,” TSN analyst Darren Pang told The Post. “Crosby didn’t take faceoffs and really didn’t go head to head with OV, being a winger. The prize: A chance to play for the Stanley Cup. It’s great for the fans. Crosby’s Penguins went on to defeat Ovechkin’s Capitals 2-1 in Game 7 en route to winning the Stanley Cup. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. Two of the world’s best centers competing in the same Stanley Cup playoff series for the first time.

Nathan MacKinnon says he believes Connor McDavid is the best player in the league, and that the Avalanche will require a full team effort to stop him and ...

The two superstars will battle it out in the Western Conference finals with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line.

The bottom line is that, for as good a player as MacKinnon is, there's simply no one in the NHL right now who can match what McDavid brings to the table. McDavid had a rating of 14 while MacKinnon was at 9. MacKinnon clocked a time of 13.895 seconds, but McDavid was faster with a time of 13.215 seconds. McDavid utilizes his wheels to bring the puck into the offensive zone far more often than anyone in the league. The Athletic's models had MacKinnon with a 4.6 rating while McDavid was given a 1.5 rating. A player can be the world's fastest skater, but they're useless using that speed with the puck on their stick, then what's the good of that? MacKinnon and McDavid competed in the Fastest Skater competition at the 2020 NHL All-Star Skills event. According to The Athletic's GSVA models, MacKinnon had a clear advantage in defensive rating. McDavid's 0.99 assists per game is the second-highest rate of his career, with last year's 1.29 a pretty tough career best to exceed. MacKinnon had 32 goals in 65 games, a rate of 0.49 goals per game. McDavid had 44 goals in 80 games this season, 0.55 goals per game. McDavid's Oilers are set to square off against MacKinnon's Avalanche for a chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

The NHL's west final between the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche will get started Tuesday night in Denver with plenty of star power and intrigue on ...

This is the third conference final that Smith has reached in his career. The swift-skating defenceman finished with 86 points in the regular season. The Oilers have averaged 4.33 goals per game in the playoffs while the Avalanche have averaged 4.30. The best example of this would be in 23-year-old Norris trophy finalist Cale Makar, who has 13 points in the playoffs and is tied with MacKinnon for the team lead. On the Avalanche side, while their numbers haven’t been nearly as gaudy — MacKinnon has 13 points in 10 games — they’re still a team with plenty of firepower up and down the lineup. This year’s Western Conference final is being hailed as a matchup between two of the game’s brightest stars in Connor McDavid of the Oilers and Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche.

Nathan MacKinnon downplayed his matchup with Connor McDavid in the Western Conference finals, calling the Oilers star "the best" and saying it will take a ...

"It's a fun challenge for sure," he said. "I think we're just excited," Makar said. They're both such electric players and McDavid's been the driving force for them as well as their other their other top guys. "They're a good team over there," McDavid said. They've got some real good players and they're really good all around." I think he's been the best for a little bit now and it's going to take a full team effort to stop him."

Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon vs. Edmonton's Connor McDavid. Two of the world's best centers competing in the same Stanley Cup playoff series for the first ...

I think for the league, if you’re a fan of the game, you’re going to enjoy this series. He finished with 12 points (three goals) in the “Battle of Alberta.” “It’s a team effort to defend (McDavid,),” Avs defenseman Devon Toews said. I said it (previously),” MacKinnon said of McDavid on Monday. “I think he’s been the best for a little bit now and it’s going to take a full team effort to stop him. And both are just now reaching the peak of their powers with enough talent around them to win the Stanley Cup. “They are two of the best players and there’s a lot of media spotlight,” said Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and first-ballot Hall of Famer. “You’re going to see that here. He skates real well, strong, plays the game at a top speed all the time and makes it tough to defend.” “This series will be a totally different theme as compared to the Crosby/Ovie matchup,” TSN analyst Darren Pang told The Post. “Crosby didn’t take faceoffs and really didn’t go head to head with OV, being a winger. The prize: A chance to play for the Stanley Cup. It’s great for the fans. Crosby’s Penguins went on to defeat Ovechkin’s Capitals 2-1 in Game 7 en route to winning the Stanley Cup. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. Two of the world’s best centers competing in the same Stanley Cup playoff series for the first time.

EDMONTON, AB - NOVEMBER 14: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers races. Nathan MacKinnon hopes the Western Conference Final between his Colorado Avalanche ...

The Avalanche also have additional star power. It's used as a safety net in case the NHL's financial projections fall short of expectations. Evander Kane is pacing all postseason goal-scorers with 12 in as many games.

The Wraparound is your daily look at the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. We'll break down the NHL playoff games today with the all-important television ...

(Here’s hoping for more than four games, then.) Game 3 – June 5: Rangers at Lightning, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS) Game 2 – June 3: Lightning at Rangers, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS) Game 1 – June 1: Lightning at Rangers, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS) MacKinnon alone, yet the Avalanche and Oilers trot out enough flavorful opponents for a four-course hockey meal. That blows away even Connor McDavid’s playoff production (48 points in 33 career playoff games). MacKinnon is the headlining “bout” for the marquees heading into the 2022 Western Conference Final. As Game 1 nears on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET), it’s OK to daydream about two highly skilled players who can succeed the modern way. Both players can possess the puck, then make genius passes. Don’t be surprised if he gets more bounces, and with that, added hype as one of the best. In MacKinnon and Makar, the Avalanche roll out at least two who might just be too elusive to slow down. Every now and then, Mikko Rantanen receives more serious mentions as one of the Avalanche’s best players, and one of the NHL’s premiere wingers. If MacKinnon was being a little too “inside baseball” with that escrow comment, he can deflect McDavid questions in the future quite easily.