Cale Makar becomes an unnecessary villain as Avs lose in OT in Seattle
Apr 24, 2023, 11:37 PM
Let’s make one thing clear: Cale Makar is not a villain.
The Avalanche’s star defenseman hit Kraken forward Jared McCann in the first period of Game 4 on Monday night and the Seattle crowd freaked out.
McCann was the unfortunate victim of Makar not knowing where the puck was and took a nasty shot into the boards. Makar was initially assessed a major-penalty on the ice before video review confirmed it was simply a minor.
Hockey is a physical sport, big checks happen, and that’s how the game goes. Makar is one of the most respectful guys in the NHL and has a ridiculous trophy case from his skill alone. He’s in no way a dirty player and McCann was in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Makar meant no damage.
It propelled Seattle to a fast start, as they took a 2-0 lead on Colorado in a pivotal Game 4. It’s a movie we’ve seen before, with the Kraken earning an early lead. Hours later, Jordan Eberle beat Alexandar Georgiev three minutes into overtime, and we’ve got a series. Things are tied up 2-2.
The Avs did their part again to make this interesting. Mikko Rantanen scored two goals in the second period and the Avalanche hushed an uneducated crowd looking to get mad.
Makar was booed on every shift the rest of the game after the big hit, but Seattle got the last laugh. They took this one 3-2, as a third period with plenty of chances led to no goals and eventually a disappointing OT finish.
JORDAN EBERLE WINS IT IN OVERTIME 😱
ANOTHER SERIES TIED AT 2 🦑 pic.twitter.com/xq3FGj9txo
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 25, 2023
The mysterious situation around Colorado forward Valeri Nichushkin still lingers, as he missed Game 4. The team is saying it’s for personal reasons, but we know Nichushkin has left Seattle.
The odds are slim he’ll be skating in Game 5 at Ball Arena, and right now that could be a big deal. The Avalanche are missing firepower, and even if Makar is a bizarre villain, all that counts is them finding a way to win the series.
The good guys are now facing a battle, and the Kraken will host at least one more playoff game on Friday night.
Makar is sure to get booed again.
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