In a blowout Game 3 victory that featured multi-point efforts by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, it was Casey Mittelstadt who stole the show.
Colorado’s new 2C hasn’t enjoyed smooth sailing since his arrival at the trade deadline, but he offered a taste of his two-way upside on Friday night, overwhelming the Winnipeg Jets with his vision, deception and unheralded competitiveness in the DZ.
The pass-first center (COL 37) established himself as a threat early in the contest, most notably via this nifty backhand:
Rather than settling for the perimeter or pulling the trigger as soon as possible, the 25-year-old spots an opportunity to exploit Dylan DeMelo (WPG 2) and Josh Morrissey’s (WPG 44) puck-watching. He dangles inside and tests Connor Hellebuyck (WPG 37) from Winnipeg’s doorstep.
Beyond the danger of the chance itself, this sequence announces that Mittelstadt is willing to take matters into his own hands, which enables his playmaking to shine later in the game:
On a 2-on-1 with Artturi Lehkonen (COL 62), Mittelstadt quickly scans the ice and lowers his gaze, concealing his intentions so thoroughly that Hellebuyck never manages to push across on the dish.
He then buries the Jets in the third frame on a familiar PP setup:
Upon receiving Samuel Girard’s (COL 49) seam pass at the right dot, he enters his shooting platform, pulls Brenden Dillon (WPG 5) forward and thus opens a lane for a slot re-direct. Since Hellebuyck is locked on Mittelstadt, he isn’t in position to smother Ross Colton’s (COL 20) release point.
MacKinnon usually initiates this action from the left circle, so perhaps it’s fitting that the best player in Game 3 put his spin on it.
Here are the full highlights of Mittelstadt’s performance:
A dominant showing overall: 2 primary assists, 60.1 xGF%, 3 GF, 0 GA.