Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon received a game misconduct after running into Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram. It appeared Oilers D-man Darnell Nurse made contact with MacKinnon beforehand.
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was ejected from Tuesday night's game after interfering with Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram, and it's been a popular topic of debate ever since.
The Avalanche superstar was skating toward a back-door pass from center Brock Nelson. While the pass was interrupted, Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse appeared to make contact with MacKinnon, and as the center was looking to jump out of the way, he collided with Ingram.
Ingram exited the game following this collision and was replaced by Tristan Jarry.
After the referees reviewed the play, MacKinnon got a five-minute major and a game misconduct for this sequence.
Edmonton went on to win the game 4-3 with captain Connor McDavid scoring the game-winning goal on the power play in the third period.
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar criticized the call post-game.
"The goalie's hurt, so it's five (minutes). Again, I really don't give a crap if the goalie's hurt," Bednar told reporters. "That's on their D-man, not on our guy."
Through the night and the following morning, fans all over social media have been voicing their displeasure regarding the call on MacKinnon.
"I don't feel like that was MacKinnon's fault. He would have completely avoided Ingram if Nurse hadn't hit him. Am I wrong?" @JayceeHotTakes said on X.
"Would've easily avoided him if Nurse didn't make contact. Horrible call," @IowaAvsFan posted.
"Nurse gives him nowhere to go, trips him, AND initiates contact (with) MacKinnon. Definitely a penalty, but not a major," @mack1nnon wrote on X.
"Nurse literally pushing Mack's body into Ingram. Sad Ingram is hurt but pathetic call," @AVSFanOnly posted.
"Terrible call. Darnell Nurse is 100% at fault," @RunStickAgain said.
"Five minutes for getting pushed into the goalie by Nurse. NHL officiating continues to be an utter joke," @Matteo_Potato_ wrote.
Even Oilers fans and those who aren't the biggest MacKinnon supporters couldn't understand the call that was made.
"Oilers fan here. Wrong call. You shouldn't be able to 'bad luck' your way into a five minute major," @tyler__palmer reacted.
"As an Oilers fan this penalty doesn't make much sense. Shouldn't be a 5min major," @OneBetPicks said.
"As an Oiler fan I gotta say I was surprised it was a major. Tried to get out of the way, Nurse knocked him towards Ingram. Refs must have thought that he would have still made contact regardless of Nurse and Ingram leaving the game didn't help," @C_dimas8 wrote.
"Yea Oilers fan here and that definitely was not a five. Two sure but he was trying to avoid Ingram," @1ntothew1ld posted.
"I'm a Wild fan so it's hard to feel sorry for Mack, but this is not his fault whatsoever, anyone who thinks otherwise has never played hockey. This isn't intentional at all, if you want to serve up a 2 min minor for goalie interference then fine, but 5 min and the boot is overkill," @Aleksithenefar1 reacted on X.
"If that was McDavid flying through the air, the Avs would've got a a interference penalty lol," @jscottrades said.
Others were in disbelief that the officials took the time to review the call, and still went as far as giving MacKinnon the 10-minute game misconduct.
"Awful call, made worse by how long they reviewed it. Embarrassing," @sixcrowsilver said on X.
"How do you review the footage and still make this call," @anthonytrucco reacted on X.
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