Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar is finding himself in some hot water following Colorado's Game 4 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Makar delivered a controversial hit on Seattle's Jared McCann, which could have a huge effect on the rest of the Stanley Cup Playoff series.
After the game, Makar defended himself and the hit.
“I didn’t feel like I tried to finish him that far,” the Avalanche star said after Colorado fell in overtime.
The incident occurred in the first period of Monday night's game. A member of the Kraken fired a shot on goal, but the puck deflected into the netting. This caused a stoppage in play.
However, Makar skated over to the corner and drove McCann into the boards. The Kraken star immediately went to the locker room, and did not return to the game.
Makar explained to the media that he wasn't aware the puck had left the ice surface. He believed McCann went to the corner to play the puck and facilitate a breakout for Seattle.
“I feel like if I was in that scenario they would have done the exact same thing,” the Avalanche star continued on Monday night. “I’m not trying to hurt anybody.”
McCann is a huge loss for the Kraken should he be out long-term. He became Seattle's first 40-goal scorer this season and is one of their best all-around players.
Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol revealed McCann will miss Game 5 and possibly longer. “Late hit. Really late. No puck in play. Our 40-goal scorer not available for the rest of the game,” the Kraken coach said.
The Kraken went on to win the game in overtime, their first home playoff win in team history. Seattle's win has evened the series heading into Game 5 in Colorado on Wednesday.
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