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‘I didn’t play well': MacKinnon sums up sophomore slump season

Florida Panthers v Colorado Avalanche

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 21: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche warms up prior to facin the Florida Panthers at Pepsi Center on October 21, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. The Panthers defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

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Nathan MacKinnon’s offensive numbers were down. His season ended prematurely with a broken foot at the beginning of March. The Colorado Avalanche regressed. One of the most dynamic young players in the game experienced the full impact of the dreaded sophomore slump.

After capturing the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2013-14, when he scored 24 goals and 63 points during the regular season, the 19-year-old MacKinnon scored only 14 goals and 38 points this season.

Meanwhile, Colorado missed the playoffs, finishing 11th in the Western Conference.

“The whole team was kind of in a slump,” MacKinnon told The Chronicle Herald in Halifax.

“We weren’t playing well and we weren’t scoring. Things started going better for me but then I got hurt so it was kind of the perfect storm. But at the same time, I didn’t play well and do the things out there I think I can.

“It’s one season and sometimes it can be tough when it’s not going the way you want it to, but I try to stay as positive as I can. I’m pretty hard on myself so I’m already looking ahead to trying to prove to myself that I can be an impact player on our team.”

MacKinnon is currently with Canada’s world hockey championship team in the Czech Republic. He’s producing at a point-per-game rate, with three goals and five assists in eight games.

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