There’s been no shortage of controversy so far in the NHL playoffs, with the Seattle Kraken’s 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche providing the latest polarizing moment.
Ten minutes into the second period, Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon had possession of the puck along the boards in the Kraken’s zone and was taken down to the ice by defender Will Borgen. After losing the puck on the fall, MacKinnon slammed his stick on the boards and was visibly frustrated after the officials didn’t call a penalty on the play.
As he was yelling at the referees, the Kraken took the puck back up the ice and in his first-ever NHL game, undrafted forward Tye Kartye rifled one past Alexandar Georgiev to give Seattle a 2-1 lead.
Although it didn’t stand as the game-winner, the Avalanche were unable to catch up after playing from behind for the rest of the game. Yanni Gourde put the Kraken up 3-1 less than two minutes into the third period and while Evan Rodrigues brought the Avalanche within one in the final minutes, that was as close as they got.
MacKinnon had some choice words about the play and the state of officiating in these playoffs after the game.
“I get five feet on a guy and he takes my feet out,” MacKinnon told reporters. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. It’s not 1975; I feel like that’s a trip.”
MacKinnon did end up taking responsibility for his role on the play after airing his frustrations.
“I’ve got to keep my cool there better,” said MacKinnon, who finished with a goal and an assist and a team-leading 27:01 of ice time. “I can’t get upset. It’s on me there.”
The Avalanche have no more room for error heading back to Seattle on Friday for a do-or-die Game 6, a level of adversity they never faced en route to their championship last season. Colorado never trailed once in a series last year and only lost a total of four games during its Stanley Cup run.
