How can the Leafs slow down Colorado Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon?

"Well, I don't know, but if you find out before the game, you can let me know," head coach Craig Berube said with a smile.

No one has had an answer to that question for a while. MacKinnon claimed his first Hart Trophy last year when he finished second in league scoring. This year, he's leading the NHL in points.

"Someone asked me this morning, ‘Is he having a better year this year than last year?’ and I think in some ways that he is," said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. "Our team was a little thin at the start of the year, lots of injuries, more onus on those guys to help you win games on a nightly basis. It wasn't always easy. We had some struggles, but guys like Nate and Cale [Makar] make the difference."

Makar, who leads all defencemen in scoring, points out that MacKinnon is always finding ways to get better every season. What's different this year?

"There's so many things," said Makar. "He’s added a couple different shots. He’s gotten away from the one-timer and then just a little bit more [reliance on] one-snappers. He's such a competitive guy."

"His game has evolved in the last couple years," said Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin. "He finds late guys. He finds plays."

With MacKinnon leading the way, the Avalanche are on an 8-0-1 run, which is the longest active point streak in the NHL. This hot streak includes a victory over the Leafs. MacKinnon scored twice in Colorado's 7-4 triumph over the Leafs back on March 8 in Denver.

"You just got to try to stay on top of him the best you can," Berube said. "It's just like playing [Connor] McDavid, right? They've got great speed and they're competitive guys with tons of skill."

The Leafs will lean on their top line, including Selke Trophy finalists Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, to try and neutralize MacKinnon.

"I think they put in a lot of work, take a lot of pride in defending and playing against other top lines," said Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. "I really like how competitive they are and what they bring every single day. They want........

© TSN