The Seattle Kraken were able to take down the Colorado Avalanche in overtime to even their first-round series at two games apiece but will now have to go into game five without their top offensive player. Head coach Dave Hakstol told reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that Jared McCann will miss the next game and possibly longer after leaving early last night.
After a partial breakaway during the first period that was stopped by Philipp Grubauer, McCann was run hard into the boards by Cale Makar and suffered an injury. The Colorado defenseman was originally given a five-minute major, but after review, it was reduced to a two-minute minor.
Makar was booed the rest of the night after removing Seattle’s top forward, a player that experienced a breakout campaign this year. McCann scored 40 goals for the Kraken and reached the 70-point mark for the first time in his career. His scoring came in all forms, with 30 goals at even strength, seven on the powerplay, and three short-handed.
For Seattle, losing McCann will be a huge blow to their chances. While their lineup is built on depth and versatility, there’s no question he brings the most offensive juice.
The series continues tomorrow, back in Colorado.
Should of been 5 and a game but I would be dressing a big pair man to be with Maker..Dirty hit plan and simple..
Bad look for Colorado. 2nd straight playoffs where they take out the other teams’ best player when the series is close.
Hit was clean. They hadn’t blown the whistle and with the puck in the air it’s contested and physicality is part of the playoffs. Boo hoo seattle.
Puck was long gone and Makar actually had a chance to peel off away from MaCann but everyone has their point of view…
Hit was dirty, and if (say) Oleksiak took out MacKinnon that way and hospitalized him, you’d be screaming for blood and you know it.
Yeah, you can have your point of view, even if it is wrong.
Makar may get a fine, that is how a superstar is dealt with, a wrist slap.
What are you talking about. You can’t just hit a guy without the puck because the whistle wasn’t blown. My god biased NHL fans are the dumbest in sports
Really? You want a penalty every time there’s a hit on a contested puck? That’s gonna ruin the game for everybody.
Funny how it seemed to be just perfectly fine when Dunn cross checked Rodriguez WELL after the whistle was blown. He went crashing down and the referee even had to sidestep him so he didn’t taken taken down himself. No call, no “PLAYER SAFETY” hearing. Nothing. Did you see avs players whining after the game about that? Do you see the league taking a second look at that? No. You don’t. That was decidedly more vicious and ten times as late. You all just want to react based on the injury and not the hit itself
The puck was in the stands, not the air. In no way was it contested. I believe Makar when he says he did not know the puck was out of play. But it’s still a bad hit. I hope Player Safety does not impose further discipline. But they should take a look. That’s what they are there for.
The contested puck that you’re referring to was in the netting out of play….so no, the reactions are based on the hit.
Then why no whistle?
Because sometimes the officials miss something or screw up. It happens, especially in a sport where they’re on the ice like everyone else, and have to make judgment calls from second-to-second. I spent some time as an official back in the day, and it ain’t easy.
Hell, I get it. I’m a fanboy too. I *live* in Amherst, and was rooting for Makar for the Frozen Four title like everyone else; I met him doing charity work when he was in college. He’s still a hero here. But sometimes things get out of hand and even your favorite players can step over the line, and that’s what happened here.
They showed the replay on that situation you’re talking about with Rodrigues and Dunn. Clearly showed the official seeing Rodrigues punch Finn which got the reaction you saw (including the flopping from Rodrigues). As a former Wings fan, this just confirms the stench of that organization in my opinion.
Clean? That’s funny. That hit was 100% bush league and at the very least should’ve been a 5 minute major.