Nathan MacKinnon scores 4 times, eclipses 300 career goals with Colorado Avalanche in comeback win over Ottawa Senators

The milestones keep coming for the Colorado Avalanche and individual Avs skaters during the 2023-24 NHL regular season. 

Nathan MacKinnon reached 300 career goals and eclipsed it by scoring four times against the Ottawa Senators in a comeback thriller at home on Thursday night. It marked a milestone for the centerman as both a member of the Colorado Avalanche and as an NHL player. 

MacKinnon and the Avs found themselves playing from behind most of the game, but Nate and his teammates kept the foot on the gas. Avs No. 29 opened the scoring in the first period with a power play goal firing the puck home from the left circle, a spot he tends to find a lot of success from.  

But Ottawa had an answer for the Avs with offense of their own, making it a 2-1 game late in the first period. The Avs skater to tie the game again was Nate when linemate Valeri Nichushkin tossed a puck to him in the low slot for the goal that gave MacKinnon 300 in his career. 

Ottawa answered once against with another pair of goals in the second period. The Avs were then given a power play, and the team was able to pull back within one goal from another tie when forward Mikko Rantanen scored in the dying seconds of the period. 

Enter the third period, and it was all Avs. Nathan MacKinnon completed the natural hat trick on the power play with another goal that he scored from the left circle. The hats rained down on the ice. But there was a moment when Ball Arena held its breath as it was reviewed for a possible offsides call. Ultimately, the league ruled it was a fair goal to knot up the game 4 apiece.  

Continuing the dominance on offense, the Avs didn't wait long to take the lead in the third, as they were gifted another power play, and it was Rantanen who helped himself to his second goal of the game with a deflection in front of Ottawa's net, assisted by MacKinnon to make it 5-4.

It wasn't smooth sailing from there, as the Sens pushed back to try and even the score the rest of the game. It was during an empty net for the Sens the Avs cleared the puck in their own zone, and it found Nate, who skated it all the way down to the other end to secure the win and score for the fourth time on the night, ending the game with 5 points in the 6-4 victory. 

The star forward already held the fifth spot for goals scored by an Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques skater. With his four goals on the night, Mackinnon (302 career goals) was 73 goals behind Milan Hejduk, who remained in the fourth spot for goals scored with 375. Avs legend Joe Sakic remains No. 1 with 625 goals scored as an Avs/Nordiques skater.  

Through 33 games this season, MacKinnon leads Avs skaters with 53 points (18 goals, 35 assists). The month of December has already proved to be a great time for the Avs star, who also extended his points streak to 17 games in the win against Ottawa.  

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