NEW YORK – Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of January.
FIRST STAR – NATHAN MacKINNON, C, COLORADO AVALANCHE
MacKinnon led the NHL with 12-14—26 and five game-winning goals (tied) in 12 contests to help the Avalanche (32-14-3, 67 points) maintain first place in the Central Division via a 9-3-0 January. MacKinnon, who also was named “First Star” of December, became the second player in as many seasons to earn that distinction in consecutive months, following Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid in February and March 2023. MacKinnon found the scoresheet in each of his 12 January appearances, extending his point streak to 13 games dating to Dec. 31 (12-16—28) – his second double-digit run of 2023-24 (also Nov. 20 – Dec. 27: 13-23—36 in 19 GP). He also stretched his season-opening home point streak to 25 contests (21-32—53), tied with Bobby Orr (19-31—50 in 1974-75 w/ BOS) for the second-longest such run in League history behind only Wayne Gretzky’s unblemished 1988-89 home campaign (33-70—103 in 40 GP w/ LAK). MacKinnon’s January featured seven multi-point performances, capped by a stretch of three straight to close the month (Jan. 20-26: 7-4—11). That window included consecutive games with at least four points, highlighted by 4-1—5 Jan. 24 vs. WSH – his second career four-goal and seventh career five-point efforts. The 28-year-old MacKinnon, who will be making his fifth career NHL All-Star Game appearance this weekend, ranks second in the League with 31-53—84 through 49 total contests this season. He also places among the top five in the NHL in assists (t-1st; 53), power-play assists (2nd; 25), power-play points (2nd; 32), shots on goal (2nd; 224), game-winning goals (t-3rd; 7) and goals (5th; 31).
SECOND STAR – STUART SKINNER, G, EDMONTON OILERS
Skinner won each of his January appearances, going 9-0-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average and .953 save percentage to guide the Oilers (29-15-1, 59 points) to a perfect month as they extended their winning streak to 16 games dating to Dec. 21 – one shy of the longest such run in NHL history. Skinner posted the ninth instance in League history of a goaltender winning at least nine contests in a single calendar month without recording a tie or loss of any kind, and the first since Mike Smith did so – also with Edmonton – in April 2022 (9-0-0). In the process, Skinner stretched his personal winning streak to 12 games dating to Dec. 22 (1.41 GAA, .950 SV%, 1 SO) – a length achieved by only nine other netminders in NHL history. Skinner yielded two or fewer goals in each of his nine January starts, including six one-goal performances. He made at least 25 stops eight times, propelled by a 35-save performance to open the calendar year (Jan. 2 vs. PHI). The 25-year-old Skinner, who owned an 11-9-1 record through his first 22 appearances of 2023-24 (3.04 GAA, .884 SV%, 1 SO), now boasts a 23-9-1 mark in 34 total outings (2.44 GAA, .910 SV%, 2 SO). That puts him in the top 10 this season in both wins (t-3rd) and goals-against average (6th; minimum: 16 GP).
THIRD STAR – ELIAS PETTERSSON, C, VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Pettersson, who will be playing in his fourth career NHL All-Star Game this weekend, shared the League lead in goals (14), game-winning goals (5) and overtime goals (2) across 13 contests (14-7—21) to lift the Canucks (33-11-5, 71 points) to a seven-point cushion atop the Pacific Division via a 10-1-2 January. Pettersson became the fifth different Vancouver player to register at least 14 goals in a calendar month and the first since Alexandre Burrows in January 2010 (15-7—22 in 13 GP). He scored in nine of his 13 January appearances, highlighted by five multi-goal performances, and became the first player in NHL history to record the winning goal in four straight road games (Jan. 6-11: 7-5—12). The 25-year-old Pettersson has played in 49 total contests this season, ranking among the League leaders in game-winning goals (t-1st; 9), points (8th; 64), power-play goals (t-8th; 10), goals (t-9th; 27), power-play points (t-9th; 25), shooting percentage (12th; 19.7% — minimum: 1 SOG/GP) and assists (t-13th; 37).
