NHL Power Rankings: Nathan MacKinnon leads Avalanche to seven straight wins, No. 1 spot

MacKinnon and the Avs are peaking at the right time

By Austin Nivison Mar 29, 2024 at 3:48 pm ET• 1 min read

Sometimes success in the playoffs is less about having the best roster and more about playing your best hockey at the right time. In the case of the Colorado Avalanche, they check both of those boxes.

Colorado is loaded with talent, and the team has been flattening opponents over the last couple of weeks. The Avs have now won seven games in a row, and they're led by Hart Trophy frontrunner Nathan MacKinnon. He might be playing the best hockey of his career, and that's saying something for a player who has finished in the top five of MVP voting four times.

As much work as MacKinnon has been doing, he's gotten plenty of help from the supporting cast around him. Mikko Rantanen is on pace for roughly 44 goals and 110 points. Cale Makar is still burning opponents with his elite offensive ability on the blue line. New additions Casey Mittelstadt and Sean Walker have fit like a glove. It's all clicking for the Avalanche down the stretch.