Nathan MacKinnon reach 100 points as Avalanche jump to first place in the Central division

Nathan MacKinnon reached 100 points for the first time in his career in style.

The Avalanche’s superstar center collected a pass from defenseman Devon Toews and came in on the breakaway before firing it past goalie Kaapo Kahkonen to give Colorado a 4-3 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. It was the franchise-leading 10th overtime goal of his career and his 100th point of the season in just 65 games.

He finished the game with two goals, which gives him 36 on the season to go along with 64 helpers. MacKinnon is five goals away from a career-high 41 goals he scored in 2019. The 64 assists are already a personal best.

Jack Johnson and Evan Rodrigues also scored for the Avs, who jumped into first place in the Central Division for the first time in five months. Colorado (46-24-6, 98 points) is tied with both Minnesota and Dallas but has a game in hand on each. The Avs also clinched a playoff spot for the sixth consecutive season.

MacKinnon’s big milestone

MacKinnon’s 100 points in 65 games are a notable feat both in the NHL this season and in Avalanche history:

• He is the seventh player in the NHL to reach the century mark in points this season.
• MacKinnon is the second-fasted player to 100 points, needing just 65 games to reach the mark. He trails only Connor McDavid, who had 100 points in 56 games. Leon Draisaitl (66 GP), Nikita Kucherov (71 GP), Matthew Tkachuk (72 GP), David Pastrnak (76 GP) and Jason Robertson (77 GP) are the other 100-point scorers so far.
• MacKinnon is the fastest player in Avalanche history to reach 100 points. He passes Peter Forsberg (68 GP in 1996) for the top spot.
• MacKinnon is the third Avalanche player to ever reach the milestone. Hall of Famers Joe Sakic (three times) and Forsberg (twice) are the others.