Nathan Mackinnon And Cale Makar Suffer Injuries As Avalanche Fall To Senators

The Colorado Avalanche could be facing a significant setback after Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both exited Thursday night's 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators with lower-body injuries, casting an unsettling shadow over the team's latest stop at Canadian Tire Centre.

Losing either player would be a considerable blow. Losing both in the same game is an entirely different concern for a Colorado team chasing a Central Division title.

MacKinnon was the first to leave, with his final shift coming at the 8:15 mark of the second period. The star center appeared to grab his right side after attempting a reverse hit on Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub. He remained on the bench briefly before making his way down the tunnel and did not return.

Makar's night was similarly cut short. The defenseman took a shift that lasted just four seconds at 10:44 of the second before heading to the locker room. He eventually returned for another brief appearance, skating for 23 seconds before leaving the ice again with 5:20 remaining in the period. Neither player returned for the third.

The concern surrounding Makar had already been building. He left Sunday's practice for precautionary reasons, making Thursday's early departure particularly troubling for the Avalanche. The team confirmed that both players sustained lower-body injuries, but further details about their conditions were not immediately available.

The timing could hardly be worse for Colorado. MacKinnon has been the engine of the Avalanche offense, leading the team and ranking fifth in the NHL with 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) through 20 games. Makar has been just as influential from the blue line, sitting third on the team and third among NHL defensemen with 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 19 appearances.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog acknowledged the magnitude of potentially losing two players of their caliber but insisted the group would have to adjust if necessary.

"Obviously, they're two of the best players in the world, so you like to have them, no doubt," Landeskog said. "But I don't think it's any different, right? Like you just play with whoever you got, whoever's ready to go, whoever's healthy and up. They play. So, hope those guys will be just fine."

Colorado had enough to push Thursday's contest beyond regulation, but not enough to leave Ottawa with the win.

Shane Pinto delivered the decisive blow at 2:08 of overtime, intercepting a pass from Parker Kelly in the Avalanche zone before beating Scott Wedgewood with a wrist shot. Pinto finished with two goals, while Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson also found the back of the net for Ottawa. Linus Ullmark turned aside 25 shots.

The Senators struck first when Pinto opened the scoring at 7:11 of the opening period. After blocking a Brent Burns shot in his own zone, the center took off the other way and finished the rush with a wrist shot. Stutzle doubled Ottawa's advantage at 13:13, capitalizing on a turnover behind Colorado's net. Fabian Zetterlund recovered the loose puck and found Stutzle, who beat Wedgewood with a backhand.

Colorado began its comeback late in the second. Nazem Kadri threaded a pass through traffic to Artturi Lehkonen, who snapped home a close-range shot at 18:04 to cut the deficit to one.

The Avalanche found themselves in a deeper hole when Kelly scored short-handed at 3:54 of the third, tying the game at 2-2. Colorado responded on the power play, with Brock Nelson sending a cross-ice pass to Landeskog, who fired through traffic at 10:03 to give the visitors their first lead.

Ottawa refused to go away. Batherson restored parity at 15:39, collecting a setup from Jordan Spence after the defenseman gathered a loose puck in front of Wedgewood. The game eventually headed to overtime, where Pinto completed his two-goal performance and secured the Senators' 4-3 victory.

Ottawa has now won three of its last four games, while Colorado saw its two-game winning streak come to an end. The Avalanche dropped to 11-6-3, leaving them third in the Central Division.

The result, though, may prove secondary to what happened in the second period. Colorado's immediate concern is the health of its two most important offensive weapons, with a road matchup against the Montreal Canadiens waiting Saturday before the Avalanche close out their four-game trip against the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday.

Until more is known about MacKinnon and Makar, the questions surrounding their availability will loom considerably larger than Thursday's overtime defeat.