Mikko Rantanen is a superstar in the NHL, no doubt about it! He has pure raw talent that few can replicate. So, why am I constantly yelling at him when I’m watching my beloved Colorado Avalanche?
Mikko Rantanen has had back-to-back 100-point seasons. The year before those he had 92 points for the Avalanche. Yet, I feel there is still so much to give.
Take the 1st game between the Stars and Avalanche; Rantanen in my opinion played horribly. He took two careless penalties, one of which cost the avalanche a goal. The puck bounced over his stick time and time again and he lost possession of the puck more times than I can count. But, you look at the box score and he had 2 assists.
That example happened all to often in the regular season as well. The eye tests tell you that he had a poor game but you look at the box score and he ends up with 2-3 assists each game. He is just that talented that he can perform poorly for the majority of the game, yet still help his club on the score sheet.
I can’t quite put my finger on why it seems that Rantanen doesn’t impact the game the same way fellow superstars Cale Makar and Nathan Mackinnon do. Is it work ethic? Is he just coasting by on raw talent alone? Ismo Lehkonen, who is a Finnish hockey coach and father of teammate Arturi Lehkonen, even called out Rantanen earlier this season by suggesting that Rantanen didn’t train in the summer and wasn’t prepared for the season. Is there truth to that story? Who knows.
What we do know is the rest of the league should be very concerned if Rantanen is able to flip the switch.
Share our Article
1 Trackback / Pingback