Thursday night turned into a potentially disastrous evening for the Colorado Avalanche. In the span of just a few minutes, Colorado watched two of its biggest stars head to the locker room, with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both sustaining lower-body injuries during a 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators.
For an Avalanche team built around the brilliance of those two players, the sight of both leaving the same game is understandably alarming. The final score in Ottawa almost feels like an afterthought.
Colorado’s immediate concern is whether it will be without its two most important players for any length of time.
MacKinnon’s departure came first. The superstar center’s final shift ended with 8:15 remaining in the second period after he attempted a reverse hit on Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub and the received a cross check in the lower back area. MacKinnon appeared to grab his right side following the collision, spending a few minutes on the bench before eventually disappearing down the tunnel.
Makar’s situation was equally concerning, especially given the circumstances surrounding his recent practice absence.
The defenseman initially left the ice after taking a shift lasting just four seconds at the 10:44 mark of the second period. He briefly returned for another appearance, skating for 23 seconds before heading off again with 5:20 remaining. Makar had also left Colorado’s Sunday practice for precautionary reasons. It should be noted that both players had been skipping practices and morning skate, including today’s. It’s very possible these issues were preexisting entering the game.
Neither player returned for the third period, and the Avalanche confirmed that both had suffered lower-body injuries.
There is no question how damaging an extended absence for either player could be. Having both sidelined would be an enormous challenge for a Colorado roster that relies heavily on their production and all-around impact.
MacKinnon entered Thursday’s matchup as the Avalanche’s leading scorer and fifth-highest point producer in the NHL. He has accumulated 30 points, including 10 goals and 20 assists, across 20 games. His combination of speed, physicality and offensive creativity makes him one of the most difficult players in hockey to replace.
Makar has been just as essential. The reigning superstar defenseman has recorded 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 19 games, ranking third on Colorado and third among NHL defensemen. His ability to dictate play from the blue line gives the Avalanche an offensive dimension few teams can match.
The potential loss of both would force Colorado to make significant adjustments on both ends of the ice.
Captain Gabriel Landeskog understands the importance of having MacKinnon and Makar available, but the Avalanche will have to find a way forward regardless of who is in the lineup.
“Obviously, they’re two of the best players in the world, so you like to have them, no doubt,” Landeskog said. “But I don’t think it’s any different, right? Like you just play with whoever you got, whoever’s ready to go, whoever’s healthy and up. They play. So, hope those guys will be just fine.”
Colorado certainly could have used its two stars during the closing stages against Ottawa.
The Game
The Avalanche found themselves trailing 2-0 after the opening period. Shane Pinto opened the scoring at 7:11, finishing a rush after blocking a Brent Burns shot in the defensive zone. Tim Stutzle doubled the advantage at 13:13 after Fabian Zetterlund capitalized on a Cale Makar turnover behind the Colorado net.
Artturi Lehkonen gave the Avalanche some life late in the second period, converting a setup from Nazem Kadri at 18:04 to make it 2-1. It was a power play goal which occurred after MacKinnon and Makar existed the game, which forced some new looks.
Scott Wedgewood and the Colorado defense were put under further pressure when Ottawa received a power play to open the third period but Parker Kelly scored a short-handed goal at 3:54 of the third. Gabe Landeskog also converted on a Brock Nelson pass on the power play at 10:03 to put Colorado ahead 3-2.
Ottawa had the final response in regulation. Drake Batherson tied the contest at 15:39 after Jordan Spence collected a loose puck in front of Wedgewood and set up the forward for a wrist shot.
Overtime lasted just 2:08 before Pinto delivered the winner. He intercepted a pass from Kelly in the Colorado zone and beat Wedgewood with a wrist shot, completing his two-goal performance and handing Ottawa a 4-3 victory.
Pinto’s heroics gave the Senators their third win in four games. Linus Ullmark finished with 25 saves, while Wedgewood stopped 22 shots for Colorado.
Takeaways
The Avalanche fell to 11-6-3 and remain third in the Central Division. They had entered the contest riding a two-game winning streak, but the defeat itself is hardly the biggest story coming out of Ottawa.
Colorado now heads to Montreal for a Saturday matchup against the Canadiens before wrapping up its four-game road trip against the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday.
Those games could look considerably different depending on the availability of MacKinnon and Makar. For Avalanche fans, the waiting game has begun, and there is little doubt that the next injury update from Colorado will carry far more weight than Thursday’s overtime result.
The Avalanche can survive a difficult night on the scoreboard. Finding a way to replace MacKinnon and Makar, should their injuries keep them out, would be a much bigger problem.
Upcoming
The trip continues east as the Avalanche are set to face the Montreal Canadiens at 5 p.m. MT on Saturday, November 14th.
