Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar has been suspended for one playoff game due to his interference penalty against Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced.
Cale Makar's hit on McCann came in the first period of the game. He was initially assessed a major penalty, but it was eventually reviewed and reduced to a minor. The suspension has NHL fans questioning why the penalty on Makar was reduced to a minor penalty which allowed him to stay in the game.
The suspension comes at a bad time for the Avalanche. The Kraken won Game 4 in overtime by the score of 3-2 to even up the series at two game apiece. Jordan Eberle scored the winning goal on the power play. Makar is one of, if not the best defenseman in the league, and a former Norris Trophy winner, so he is a big loss to the lineup.
The series heads back to Colorado for a pivotal Game 5 that the Avalanche will now be playing without their best defenseman. Jared McCann's Kraken are in their second season of existence. It would be a wild success if they are able to upset the defending Stanley Cup champions in the first round. With Makar's suspension, the Kraken might feel an urgency to take advantage of playing a game in which Makar is off the ice.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs usually brings chaos, and the Seattle fanbase is experiencing it for the first time. The Avalanche's quest to defend their Stanley Cup win gets a little big tougher without Makar in Game 5.
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