The Colorado Avalanche have come under fire this season for an anemic offense that has taken far too long to get going in games, often causing the team to play from behind, an exhausting uphill battle that had led to a number of games being lost before the team even found its legs.
Among the leaders in drawing criticism early on has been star forward Nathan MacKinnon, the number overall selection of the 2013 NHL Draft. The talented MacKinnon has struggled to score goals this year, despite leading the Avalanche in shots on goal by a country mile, as he has just five goals in the team’s first 19 games.