BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The Colorado Avalanche are in position to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a 180-degree turnaround under general manager Joe Sakic.
It's once again a good time to be a hockey fan in Denver, unlike last March, when the Avalanche were finishing their worst full season (22-56-4) since the franchise relocated to Colorado in 1995.
The Avalanche finished with 48 points, the lowest total for an NHL team in a season of 80 or more games since the Atlanta Thrashers had 39 in 1999-2000. Center Nathan MacKinnon finished with 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists).
RELATED: [Goalie interference discussed at GM meetings, process working well]
Colorado has 86 points through 72 games (39-25-8), tied with the Anaheim Ducks, but holds the first wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference because it has played one fewer game. It trails the Minnesota Wild by four points for third place in the Central Division. The Avalanche are 7-1-3 since Feb. 26.
MacKinnon, a Hart Trophy candidate, has 89 points (38 goals, 51 assists), tying him for second in the NHL with Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid. Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov is the leader with 93.
MacKinnon, who leads the League with 1.39 points per game, has 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 15 games since Feb. 18.
MacKinnon, 22, and the Avalanche will try to stay hot when they play the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, ALT, NHL.TV).
Sakic, not surprisingly, has been impressed, as he told NHL.com.