TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Andrew Cogliano shouted at Nathan MacKinnon in the midst of the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup celebration.
“87!” he bellowed.
It was a reference to the final two numbers of MacKinnon’s hotel room, which Colorado’s star forward thought was a great omen when he checked in ahead of Sunday night’s Game 6 in Tampa. Sidney Crosby, like MacKinnon a native of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, is known for being No. 87.
Now MacKinnon is a Stanley Cup champion, just like Crosby.
“We just felt like it was fate,” MacKinnon said. “We just knew we were going to win when I got that room number.”
Fate didn’t help MacKinnon sneak a perfect shot past 2021 playoff MVP Andrei Vasilevskiy for Colorado’s first goal or help him set up Artturi Lehkonen for the second. And fate didn’t make him slide his body in front of shots to keep them from getting to the net or take a big hit from Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos that knocked him to the ice.
No, it was skill and sheer determination for a player seeking a championship that had eluded him for several years amid playoff disappointments. He was at his best in the Cup-clinching 2-1 victory Sunday night. After a relatively quiet performance in the series until that point, MacKinnon picked the perfect time to be a difference-maker and drove the bus for the Avalanche.
General manager Joe Sakic, who drafted MacKinnon with the first pick in 2013, said this means everything to his first-line center.
“He’s one of the best players in the world, and he wanted this more than anyone, and you can tell,” Sakic said. “He’s open about it how much he wants to win, and I was really proud for him. He’s been tremendous right from when he started as a rookie. He’s gotten better and better every year. A dynamic player, and you saw it today. He checked as hard as when he had the puck.”
MacKinnon at times played like a man possessed during this run, leading the Avalanche with 13 goals, tied for the playoff lead.
“The maturity of his game over the last couple of seasons and in going through what we went through in the playoffs last year has kind of driven him to a different point this year,” coach Jared Bednar said. “He has a better understanding and a growing understanding of everything that’s happening around him and that other guys play an important role in our team’s success and it doesn’t have to always just come back on him.”
MacKinnon blazed and bulldozed through and dangled around plenty of opponents to win his first championship, adding a goal in the title-clinching win.
“Nate’s like a bull in a china shop,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper, whose team came two victories away from the NHL’s first three-peat since in the early 1980s. “He plays the power game. He’s kind of got that double-edged sword because he’s really fast and he’s really strong, so it’s hard to neutralize him when you really let him go.”
The Avalanche unleashed MacKinnon on Nashville, St. Louis and Edmonton before that — sweeping the Predators in the first round and the Oilers in the Western Conference final sandwiched around beating the rival Blues in six. And then came the Lightning, who were vanquished in a terrific series that saw four one-goal games (two won by Colorado in overtime) and a blowout win for each team.
At the end, Colorado had the Cup and MacKinnon this time didn’t have to answer questions about what went wrong or whether he’d need to change his approach to win in the playoffs.
Instead of doing that, MacKinnon ratcheted up his game. Even before he scored his first goal of the final, he danced around defenders with moves more reminiscent of video game hockey than real life.
Facing noted Tampa Bay shutdown center Anthony Cirelli in the final, MacKinnon was more than up to the challenge.
“He embraces some of those matchups,” Bednar said. “Nate, he’s not afraid or intimidated to go against anybody.”
As a result, MacKinnon now trails Crosby by two Stanley Cup titles, giving the 26-year-old even more to shoot for beyond this championship.
“It’s crazy,” MacKinnon said. “Can’t wait to hug my family. It’s hard to describe. I didn’t really know what it would be like to actually win it, just seeing all these warriors battle, it just feels unbelievable.”
John Locher
Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period in Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper celebrates after the Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-0 in Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Denver.(AP Photo/John Locher)
Phelan Ebenhack
Colorado Avalanche center Andrew Cogliano, center, and defenseman Josh Manson (42) celebrate the overtime goal by teammate center Nazem Kadri (91) in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
John Bazemore
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson, center, and left wing Artturi Lehkonen, right, congratulate center Nazem Kadri, left, after his overtime goal on Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
David Zalubowski
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, right, celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with right wing Valeri Nichushkin, center, and defenseman Devon Toews during the third period of Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final, Friday, June 24, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
John Bazemore
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) stops a shot by Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Phelan Ebenhack
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) shoots the puck past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) for a goal during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
John Bazemore
The Colorado Avalanche celebrate after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. The Avalanche won 2-1. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
John Bazemore
CORRECTS TO SKILLS COACH SHAWN ALLARD INSTEAD OF HEAD COACH JARED BEDNAR – Colorado Avalanche skills coach Shawn Allard lifts the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Phelan Ebenhack
Gloves and sticks are tossed as the Colorado Avalanche celebrate winning the Stanley Cup against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Phelan Ebenhack
The Colorado Avalanche pose with the Stanley Cup after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
John Bazemore
Teammates surround and congratulated Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) after his goal during the first period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Phelan Ebenhack
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) checks Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat (18) during the first period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
John Bazemore
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy waits on the play during the first period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Phelan Ebenhack
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) controls the puck next to Colorado Avalanche center Darren Helm (43) during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Phelan Ebenhack
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) shoots the puck past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) for a goal during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Phelan Ebenhack
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) deflects a shot by Colorado Avalanche left wing J.T. Compher (37) during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Phelan Ebenhack
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) reacts after scoring on Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
John Bazemore
Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat reacts after the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Phelan Ebenhack
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon lifts the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Phelan Ebenhack
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon lifts the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Phelan Ebenhack
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon lifts the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)