SEATTLE — Ask Nathan MacKinnon after any Avalanche loss this season about the team’s performance that night, and he’ll downplay defeat.
With a stubborn, protective loyalty toward the perpetually bruised Avs — his Avs — he’ll reiterate that it’s a long season. That losses happen. That he’s not concerned about what a singular loss means in the grand scheme of 82. Knowing this has been a more obstacle-clogged season than last, he has aimed to remain relentlessly upbeat.
As he held court at his locker-room stall after a resounding display of his individual virtuosity Saturday night, the 10-year Avalanche center stayed optimistic but did share a big-picture takeaway from three playoff games, crediting the Kraken.