Nathan MacKinnon talks 100 points, playoff race and Avalanche resiliency: 'It's surprising that we're here, honestly'

Apr. 6—SAN JOSE, Calif. — Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon scored an overtime winner for his 100th point of the season.

Cue the party inside their postgame dressing room.

"It was fun. That's what makes a good team. Guys happy for each other's accomplishments," MacKinnon said before a Thursday night rematch against the Sharks in San Jose. "They were excited. And, obviously, nice for myself as well."

Reaching the century mark for single-season points has long been just out of reach for MacKinnon. He exceeded 90 in three consecutive seasons (2017-20).

MacKinnon, after hitting 100 and clinching a playoff berth Tuesday in San Jose, said, "Being close enough to it, it's just nice to get it out of the way, for sure."

Now, his sole focus can shift to the team's postseason push. The Avalanche, entering Thursday night's game, lead the Central Division at 98 points with a game in hand on Minnesota and Dallas.

"It's surprising that we're here, honestly. We have a lot of games we can win here," MacKinnon said. "Winning the division would be quite the accomplishment with all the many games that we've lost."

MacKinnon reflected on head coach Jared Bednar's role with Colorado's impressive resiliency this season.

"He's been patient," MacKinnon said. "Obviously, we don't have the team we had last year with guys being out and guys leaving. There had to be some adjustments and I think overall we've played really well. I think we're even better defensively than we were last season. We don't have the firepower. We're going to have to win games a little tighter."

The next milestone watch for the Avalanche is Mikko Rantanen needing one more goal to reach 50 on the season. He will become just the third player since franchise relocation to do it, joining only Joe Sakic (1995-96 and 2000-01) and Milan Hejduk (2002-03). MacKinnon is looking forward to Rantanen being the next Mr. 50 in Avalanche history.

"Everyone loves Mikko in the room," MacKinnon said. "He's a good guy. Works really hard. I really focused. That's big when one of our best players is that focused and determined. It kind of (motivates) everyone else. He's going to get that eventually here. Last game, he had a lot of good looks.

"I'm sure he's thinking about it, too. I'm sure he just wants to get it out of the way and stop talking about it. He's had an amazing season."

No timeline for Makar, Helm

The Avalanche injury bug continues to bite with six games before the playoffs start.

Defenseman Cale Makar and forward Darren Helm missed consecutive games, Tuesday and Thursday, against the Sharks with lower body injuries. Bednar confirmed that each injury is new and unrelated to previous health issues this season. There is currently no return timeline for either player, Bednar said.

One positive is that backup goalie Pavel Francouz practiced with the group Thursday at morning skate and is "the closest to returning into our lineup" among injured players.

"Frankie has been on the ice, on his own, with a handful of shooters. He joined the group a couple of times just briefly. But he is basically a full go right now," Bednar said. "Then we'll see how he handles the next few days."

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Avalanche 6, Sharks 2

What happened: Colorado opened its California road trip with consecutive wins over a struggling Sharks team.

What went right: Mikko Rantanen recorded a hat trick and exceeded 50 goals scored in a season (52). He joins only Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk in team history (since relocation) to reach the scoring milestone. Ben Meyers broke out of his slump with two goals. Nathan MacKinnon recorded a four-point night (one goal, three assists).

What went wrong: San Jose took an early lead in the opening period when likely Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson potted in a rebound at the crease. The Sharks added a goal in the second period from Steven Lorentz.

Between the pipes: Alexandar Georgiev made 21-of-23 saves. San Jose's Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 15 of Colorado's 19 shots on goal. He was pulled in exchange for James Reimer who made 10-of-12 saves.

What's next: The Avalanche (47-24-6) face the Los Angeles Kings (45-24-10), 8:30 p.m. Saturday (Altitude) at Crypto.com Arena.