The Colorado Avalanche’s night in Ottawa took a brutal turn in the second period Thursday, when both Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon exited the game against the Senators at Canadian Tire Centre and did not return.
The team announced, “Nathan MacKinnon (lower body) and Cale Makar (lower body) will not return to tonight's game.”
Makar was the first to go down. During a 5-on-3 power play, he made a hard stop at the blue line, held the puck, and then sent a pass just as the whistle had gone for a penalty on Nazem Kadri. He skated off immediately and headed down the tunnel to the room, finishing the night there.
Not long after, MacKinnon took a crosscheck from behind while the Avalanche were nearing the end of a 4-on-3 power play. He ended up on the ice trying to get back to his feet before getting up and skating to the bench on his own.
The trainer came out, and the TV broadcast showed MacKinnon wincing in pain on the bench. He spoke with the trainers and stayed on the bench through the rest of the second period, but he did not return for the third.
There was no immediate word on what was bothering either player.
Makar’s situation wasn’t entirely out of the blue. He had missed practice last Sunday because of a lower-body issue, then returned to play Tuesday night. He appeared to be fine early Thursday before leaving the game.
The play that sent Makar out raised the possibility of a groin problem, and those injuries can be stubborn. They tend to linger, can take a long time to heal properly, and can flare up again without much warning.
For now, the hope is that Thursday night was only a scare. Teams are careful with stars like these, and they’re quick to pull them before something manageable turns into something worse. Still, for Avalanche fans, it was the kind of sequence that sends the blood pressure soaring.
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Avalanche Suddenly Face A Brutal Question About MacKinnon And Makar
The Avalanches night against Ottawa took a sharp turn when Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both exited with lower-body injuries, leaving Colorado to absorb a hit to two of its most important players at once. MacKinnon was hurt while trying to check Artem Zub and eventually had to leave the bench, while Makar went out earlier, briefly came back for one shift and was then ruled out.
For a team that leans so heavily on both stars, the timing makes the concern obvious. Colorado can usually survive a rough stretch because MacKinnon drives the attack and Makar anchors the back end, but losing either one changes the look of the lineup fast. Losing both in the same game raises an even bigger question about how the Avalanche handle the next stretch if the injuries linger. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Brutal Problem After MacKinnon And Makar Exit
The Avalanche were already in a tricky spot against Ottawa, and the second period made it much worse when Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both exited after sustaining injuries. Makar went down while retrieving the puck without contact, while MacKinnon was hurt in a scuffle with Artum Zub, leaving Colorado suddenly scrambling for answers in the middle of a game it could not afford to lose control of.
With Josh Manson also unavailable, the Avalanche may have to reach into their depth chart for help, with Noah Juulsen and Alex Gagne among the names that could be called up. For a team built around elite pace and high-end skill, the possibility of being without two of its biggest drivers is a stark reminder of how quickly a night can change, and how thin the margin becomes when the blue line and top six are both under pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Real Test Without Nathan MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnons lower-body injury has put the Avalanche in an uncomfortable spot at a time when they were already leaning heavily on their top center to drive the offense. He left the game in the second period and did not return, and Colorado moved quickly to bring up Gavin Brindley from the AHLs Colorado Eagles as a short-term answer. Brindley has already been shuttled up and down multiple times this season, so this is not unfamiliar territory for him.
What changes now is the burden on everyone else. MacKinnons absence strips away the teams most reliable source of pace and production, and Brindley is being asked to help fill some of that gap with offense of his own. For a club that has built so much of its identity around MacKinnon setting the tone, the immediate question is how long Colorado can keep its game intact while waiting for more clarity on his status. [Read more 🡒]