Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas were electric together Saturday night, and the scary part is they think it will get better.
MacKinnon and Necas each had a goal and three points in a 5-4 shootout loss to the rival Dallas Stars at Ball Arena. It was only Game No. 3 on the schedule, but this will be one of the great contests of the Avs’ 2025-26 regular season, regardless of the end result.
“That line was really good,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “That was their best game. Game 1, reliable but not super dangerous. Game 2, we all had a rough night. Tonight, they were super dangerous from the get-go.”
While the Avs have done their best to say and show they have moved on from the Mikko Rantanen saga, this was his first time back in Denver since ending their season in May in cinematic fashion.
Necas doesn’t want to be Rantanen. The Avs want him to be the best version of himself, not a clone of their former star.
MacKinnon and his new running mate certainly put on a show Saturday night. The 2024 NHL MVP found Necas for Colorado’s first goal early in the second period with a perfect cross-ice pass.
Necas collected it at the base of the right faceoff circle and snapped a shot below the crossbar from a tight angle for his third goal of the season. It’s not hard to envision the MacKinnon-to-Rantanen version of that play.
Rantanen, as a lefthanded shooter, would have had his body turned the opposite direction and may have gone down to one knee while one-timing the puck. Necas, as a righty playing right wing, can’t make that play.
But, he found his own way to create a highlight-level goal.
“He’s a dynamic player,” MacKinnon said. “We both play with some pace. I think we’re just trying to figure out how to complement each other more. I think we play a similar style of game. We have the perfect guy with us. (Artturi Lehkonen) is always in the paint, always retrieving pucks. Yeah, it’s been pretty good.
“He’s looking awesome. Looks strong, seeing the ice well, shooting it well.”
MacKinnon set up Lehkonen for a tap-in at the edge of the crease on the first shift of the third period. The Avs controlled the puck and the majority of the scoring chances all night. But in a script Colorado fans have seen acted out too many times, Dallas kept finding ways to capitalize against the run of play.
With the Avs trailing in the third but gifted a four-minute power play, the dynamic duo found a way to make it 4-4. Brent Burns put a shot on net, and the rebound came right to Necas in the slot. He stopped it, flipped to his forehand and sent a pass to MacKinnon in the left circle for a one-timer with 9:14 remaining.
That was the 11th shot of the night on the power play, and the breakthrough the Avs needed.
“I thought (the power play) was really good tonight. A lot of great chances,” MacKinnon said. “I know we were getting booed. I guess they don’t know what a good power play looks like. We had a ton of chances, just nothing was going in. Then we finally got one.
“I guess they’ve got to boo us more.”
MacKinnon and Necas combined for six points and seven shots on goal. Lehkonen added a goal and four more shots.
Necas had two Grade-A chances late, including the only shot on goal in the overtime, but Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger robbed him on both.
“It was a fun game,” MacKinnon said. “The crowd was really into it. We played really well. It was just one of those nights.
“Hats off to Oettinger. They hung around, did what they had to do to win. It wasn’t a great game last game. I guess that’s the hockey gods, maybe. Maybe we didn’t deserve (to win) last game.”
MacKinnon and Necas have six points each through three games. How this partnership works will continue to be under the microscope all season, in part because it’s critical to the Avs’ success but also because Necas needs a new contract.
They’re still learning to play with each other, which should be worrying for opposing teams. Because they just dominated the game against one of the best clubs in the league, even if Rantanen got the last laugh in the shootout.
“I think over time they’ll learn,” Bednar said. “When (Necas) first got here, they seemed like they were bumping into each other all over the ice, because they want the same ice. So it’s awareness, recognition and being flexible about where you want to go.
“I think Marty will learn that. I think Nate’s learning that, showing up in different areas of the ice. I think it’s a natural progression. It’s not going to happen overnight, but they’re figuring it out.”
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