T.J. Hughes scored his first NHL goal on Friday night, and Nathan MacKinnon ensured it was a memorable one.
In the Colorado Avalanche‘s 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, MacKinnon and Cale Makar provided the assists for Hughes’ goal at the 14:57 mark of the third period. With Colorado leading by a goal and on the power play, they had a chance to dash Pittsburgh’s hopes for a comeback.
Hughes found himself in front of the net while Makar collected the puck near the blue line. He passed to MacKinnon, who skated into the right circle. MacKinnon took the puck near the goal line before sliding it to Hughes on a backhand pass. Hughes dropped to one knee and finished the sequence with a one-timer.
Technically, it was an even-strength goal as the power play ended right before the puck went into the net. Still, the goal caused MacKinnon to praise Hughes in a hilarious way.
Nathan MacKinnon’s Hilarious Response To T.J. Hughes’ Goal
Per Ryan Boulding of NHL.com, MacKinnon said of Hughes after the game:
“He is such a nice person. Works so hard. Just a good guy. It’s crazy how nice he is, to be honest. I wish I was that nice. It’s not the easiest shot to put in. It’s kind of against the grain. Got down on one knee. He looks comfortable on the goal line. I think he’s more comfortable there than in the middle. He’s a pass first guy, so I think he’s in a good spot down there.”
That’s a ringing endorsement for Hughes before MacKinnon even got to the sequence in question. It’s one thing when someone praises your goal that all but sealed the game. It’s another thing entirely when they can’t stop talking about your character.
When that praise comes from one of the greatest players to wear a Colorado Avalanche uniform? A player who has been scoring at will throughout most of his career while stepping in to defend teammates? It’s even better.
T.J. Hughes Has Been Valuable To The Colorado Avalanche
Hughes has yet to light up the stat sheet with two points, a goal, and 14:29 of average total ice time. But he has been valuable at the faceoff dot, winning 18 out of 33 attempts, good for a 54.5 faceoff win percentage. Hughes has also been one of the more physical players on the team, with eight hits in eight games.
Better yet, Hughes has primarily taken faceoffs in the defensive zone, as shown by his 36.5 offensive zone starting percentage at even strength. Hughes also has a positive 50.6 Corsi For Percentage and an outstanding on-ice shooting percentage of 15.0. The latter number means he has been contributing to goals, even if he didn’t score one until Friday night.
Hughes will get a chance to build on his performance come Monday when the Avalanche face the Philadelphia Flyers. Given the Flyers’ play, MacKinnon, Hughes, and Co. could be in for another big game. But this could also be a classic trap game, so it will be interesting to see what the Avs do come Monday night.
Nathan MacKinnon Has Hilarious Reaction to Avalanche Rookie’s First NHL Goal