Even all-world athletes with years of chemistry competing together need practice.
The last two Avalanche games have been a reminder of that, particularly in regard to a power play that started this season as the NHL’s best.
The Avalanche (19-14-3) went into a special teams spiral Dec. 5 when Nathan MacKinnon went out with an upper-body injury that sidelined him for 11 games and change. The Avs’ power play runs through their star center. During his absence, they scored four power-play goals on 34 opportunities (11.8%), starting with an 0-for-18.
He has been back two games.