DENVER — Hockey is a game of inches, split-second decisions and details that can be easy to miss if you aren't watching closely. For casual fans, it can sometimes feel like the puck is moving faster than the eye can follow. But every so often, a play offers a glimpse into what separates the best players from everyone else.
Nathan MacKinnon provided one of those moments Saturday night against the Detroit Red Wings. It wasn't a goal or an assist. Instead, it was a brief moment of communication that said plenty about how he sees the game and the standards he holds his teammates to.
The Avalanche were looking to find some offensive rhythm after a sluggish opening period. With Justin Faulk serving a minor for interference and Nazem Kadri and Detroit's Moritz Seider both in the box for roughing, Colorado had another opportunity to get its power play going after coming up empty on its first three attempts.
MacKinnon had possession in the high slot when he noticed something wasn't quite right. He lifted his stick and motioned toward a teammate, signaling that someone needed to adjust their positioning. Initially, it appeared he was directing the message toward Martin Necas. It turned out he wanted Parker Kelly to move higher into the offensive zone.
The sequence ended with T.J. Hughes getting a turnaround shot away on Red Wings goaltender Daniil Tarasov. The rebound bounced off Tarasov and slid through the crease, where Necas was waiting unmarked at the backdoor. He tapped it home for Colorado's first power-play goal of the night.
It was the first of three power-play goals for the Avalanche, who went on to shut out Detroit 4-0.
Martin Nečas opens the scoring in Colorado! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/e8KiYliwOp
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The play itself might not stand out on a highlight reel, but the details behind it are worth a closer look. MacKinnon recognized where Kelly needed to be and wasn't shy about communicating the adjustment.
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar offered some insight into what happened during the sequence, explaining why MacKinnon was looking for Kelly in the first place.
"I think (his leadership skills) are great because... he's a super intelligent guy. He notices things; he picks up on stuff throughout the course of a game," he told The Hockey News.
🗣️ "I think the momentum really turned for us when we started managing the puck better."
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HC Jared Bednar on the Avs 4-0 win against the Detriot Red Wings#GoAvsGo | #McRibpic.twitter.com/hjoyCBwwW4
Bednar explained that with Kadri in the penalty box, Colorado needed someone new to fill the bumper position on the power play. Kelly had already generated two quality scoring chances at even strength in the first period, including a shot off the post, so Bednar wanted to give him an opportunity in that spot.
The problem was Kelly had drifted too close to the net instead of occupying the space in the middle of the ice.
"I decided to throw him in that bumper spot, and Kelly was standing too deep, almost at the net front. Mac wanted him in the pocket. He noticed it right away because he was looking for him, and there was a little hole there. Parker was too deep, so he was trying to get him out of there," Bednar explained.
The Avalanche eventually went with a goal-line play, and the puck worked its way toward the net before Kelly came downhill. With Detroit's defenders converging, it ultimately found its way onto Necas' stick.
For Bednar, it was another example of MacKinnon's ability to recognize things others might not immediately catch.
"It's just a little thing that he picked up on. He'll move guys around and bark at you to get you in the right spot, and then do something else and look for you, especially on the power play when you get a little bit of time."
MacKinnon isn't simply pointing out mistakes. He's communicating what he wants from his teammates because he's already anticipating where they need to be for a play to work.
It's part of what makes him such an effective leader, even if he's never been particularly interested in being the most outspoken person in the room.
MacKinnon has built his reputation as one of the NHL's premier players through an unwavering commitment to his craft. His preparation, training, recovery and attention to nutrition are well-known around the league. He expects a tremendous amount from himself, and those expectations extend to his teammates.
He's an intense competitor. Winning is the priority, and he's not always going to sugarcoat his feelings when he believes something needs to change. His competitive nature was even on display during the Winter Olympics in Milan, where not even a stuffed animal was immune to his intensity.
His reserved personality can sometimes lead people to underestimate him away from the ice. MacKinnon isn't particularly interested in lengthy media appearances or elaborate answers. But being quiet and having little to say are two very different things.
Over the past couple of seasons, The Hockey News has seen MacKinnon offer pointers to T.J. Hughes, Artturi Lehkonen and others. There have also been stories about his willingness to hold younger teammates accountable for their habits away from the rink.
Sam Malinski, now in his fourth year with the organization, shared a particularly entertaining example during an appearance on the NHL Unscripted podcast.
When Malinski first joined the Avalanche, he quickly discovered that MacKinnon had some strong opinions about what his teammates should be eating before games.
"I would always eat peanut butter and jelly before the games, just a quick sandwich, and he told me pretty quickly that he didn't like that very much," Malinski said.
MacKinnon apparently wasn't much happier with Malinski's pasta consumption, either.
"He didn't like that I ate pasta. He always does sweet potatoes, and so I switched to that for a little bit," Malinski explained.
There was a funny twist, though. Malinski admitted that when his game started to slip last season, he went back to eating pasta before games and felt his play improved.
"Honestly, I think this is probably a mental thing for me, but last year I started, I wasn't playing very well, and so I went back to my pasta, and then I started playing good again," Malinski said.
It's a funny story, but it also offers a glimpse into what it's like to be a younger player in Colorado's locker room. MacKinnon might not be the teammate constantly cracking jokes or commanding attention with a big personality. That's more captain Gabe Landeskog's territory. But the two share an important quality: They want to get better, and they expect the people around them to do the same.
There are different ways to lead a hockey team. Some players do it with speeches, others with their personalities. MacKinnon has never needed to be the loudest voice in the room to make his presence felt.
Sometimes it's a quick correction during a power play. Other times, it's a conversation about what a teammate is eating before a game. More often than not, it's the example he sets every time he steps onto the ice.
Saturday night was another reminder that MacKinnon isn't just concerned with making the right play himself. He's paying attention to what everyone around him is doing, too. And his teammates are better for it.
