Top NHL writer takes bizarre shot at Nathan MacKinnon after wild OT
Feb 13, 2025, 3:08 PM | Updated: 3:17 pm
Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon was a beast for Team Canada on Wednesday night in the 4 Nations Face-Off opener.
MacKinnon scored the first goal of the game, fewer than one minute in, and Canada beat Team Sweden for a wild 4-3 overtime win to begin the tournament. MacKinnon also had six shots on goal, which was the most from any player on either team in the game.
And four of those shots came in OT, with MacKinnon peppering Swedish goaltender Filip Gustavsson and helping wear him down. It eventually worked, as 6:06 into the extra session Toronto star Mitch Marner beat Gustavsson and sent the crowd in Montreal home happy.
MacKinnon was a monster in overtime, consistently finding open-ice and even taking the puck coast-to-coast at one point, inches away from being the hero. Fans in Colorado loved it, as MacKinnon displayed supreme aggression in the 3-on-3 OT format and showed his skill and speed.
But one top NHL writer, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, had a very odd take on all of it. Check out what Wyshynski said on X on Thursday morning after MacKinnon told reporters postgame how exhausted he was.
BREAKING: Guy who decides to basically take every shot in overtime on his own gassed after overtime. https://t.co/8ZPlAlMnI2
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) February 13, 2025
The four looks Nathan MacKinnon had were all good ones. He didn’t really force anything, Gustavsson just made better saves. And hasn’t the reigning Hart Trophy winner, given to the NHL’s MVP, earned the right to shoot the puck? Even with Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Cale Makar out there at times, MacKinnon was consistently getting the best looks.
It’s a strange post from Wyshynski, as MacKinnon not only found the back of the net early but was a big reason why Sweden eventually ran out of gas. He left everything out there and his team got the victory.
And don’t forget, MacKinnon leads the NHL in assists with 66 through 57 games. Implying he’s selfish, when he’s averaging more than one assist per contest with the Avalanche, is bizarre. In fact, Colorado fans sometimes wish MacKinnon would shoot the puck more and not always look for his teammates.
Regardless, this is a strange stance from Wyshynski. MacKinnon took advantage of the opportunities in front of him and his home country eventually got the win.
MacKinnon and Team Canada will be at it again on Saturday against Team United States. Hopefully Nathan MacKinnon doesn’t shoot too much and hurt Wyshynski’s feelings.
