John Leyba / The Denver Post)
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Stuck in a seven-game goals drought, Nathan MacKinnon's Hart Trophy candidacy as NHL most valuable player is bound to lose ground if the Avalanche doesn't make the playoffs. The Avs, who are just a point ahead of the St. Louis Blues for the last Western Conference wild-card spot, desperately need their star center and his line to return to form in the final two games of the regular season.
MacKinnon, who is tied for the NHL points-per-game lead (1.31) with Boston's Brad Marchant, has just two points (two assists) in his last six games, and linemates Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen also have struggled.