The Colorado Avalanche: News from around the NHL - January 21st, 2014

Toronto Sun believes that Nathan MacKinnon is proving why he went first in the draft. Also in the article MacKinnon is is quoted as saying that Roy doesn't get enough credit.

As for MacKinnon, he has shown flashes of brilliance that seems ridiculous for someone who was just 17 when he was drafted.

Earlier this month, the Elias Sports Bureau declared that MacKinnon had become the youngest player in NHL history to score at least two goals in each of two consecutive team games when he found the back of the net twice against the Sharks and Flames respectively. MacKinnon (age 18 years, 127 days) broke the record set by Dale Hawerchuk with the original Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 23–25, 1981 (age 18 years, 204 days).

"It’s scary how good he is already, and when you think that he’s barely 18, I mean, he’s going to be something when everything matures a little more," Avs winger P.A. Parenteau, an ex-linemate of another No. 1 overall pick, John Tavares, said earlier this season.

Tortorella got a 15 day suspension and is unable to talk to his team during that time. Torts has been both suspended and fined in the past.

On November 19, 2007, he was fined $10,000 for his post-game remarks about the on-ice officials in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers.

• On April 25, 2009, he was suspended for Game 5 of the New York Rangers first-round series against the Washington Capitals after he tossed a water bottle at an unruly fan and later tried to spear the person through two pains of glass with one of his player's stick.
• On November 4, 2009, he was fined $10,000 for sending Rangers forward Dane Byers out for a late-game shift to fight Vancouver's Tanner Glass in a heated contest.
• On January 4, 2012, he was fined $30,000 for his post-Winter Classic conspiracy suggestion that NBC and the on-ice officials were getting together to make sure the outdoor affair was extended to overtime with some questionable calls.
• On April 6, 2012, he was fined $20,000 for calling Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin "whining stars" of the "arrogant" Pittsburgh Penguins.

Shane Doan is recovering after being rather ill.

Dave Tippett won’t soon forget the sight of his captain Shane Doan nearly curled up in the fetal position as he sat on a bench inside the team’s dressing room.

"I’ve seen him play through things that make you think, ‘This guy shouldn’t be playing,’ " recalled Tippett. "But with this, it wasn’t even a question whether he could play. He had headaches, his shoulders ached, his elbows couldn’t move."

That was in Vancouver the night of Dec. 6. Tippett and the Phoenix Coyotes flew home with their ailing captain that night, and upon landing at 2 a.m. Doan was immediately rushed to hospital, where the pain from his headaches was so severe he was immediately put on morphine.

"The anxiety of not knowing what’s wrong with you is one of the worst parts," he said Monday.

Fortunately for the 37-year-old veteran and the Coyotes, it was also in Vancouver where Doan found out what was ailing him. Canucks team doctor Mike Wilkinson just happened to have some familiarity with infectious diseases. He checked the rashes on Doan’s hands and feet, and diagnosed the Coyotes captain with Rocky Mountain spotted fever.