Doctor provides new insight into Nathan MacKinnon injury as Cale Makar concerns grow
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Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar left Thursday's loss in Ottawa hurt. Both travel to Montreal, but their status for Saturday is unclear.
The Colorado Avalanche took a point out of Ottawa on Thursday, but it may have cost them far more.
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both left a 4-3 overtime defeat to the Senators with lower-body injuries and never came back.
Colorado has not offered a timeline, though both are heading to Montreal for Saturday's game against the Canadiens.
What We Know So Far
Makar was hurt in the second period, favouring his right leg before getting treated in the locker room.
He returned for one 25-second shift, then stayed on the bench until the period ended.
MacKinnon went down with about five minutes left in the second after contact from Artem Zub in the hip area, and he looked to be in considerable pain.
The latest word on X is that there is no further update on either player, but both are travelling with the team.
A second post from a sports doctor offers an early read on MacKinnon.
It describes Zub's hit as a cross check to the pelvis, names a hip pointer as the worry, and guesses at a range from day-to-day to a couple of weeks.
That is guess, not a diagnosis or a team statement.
Why Colorado Needs Both Back
Before Thursday, MacKinnon had 10 goals and 30 points in 19 games.
Makar had five goals and 23 points in 18 games and led the team at 22:54 of ice time per night.
Losing either forces real adjustments: the middle of the lineup thins without MacKinnon, and the other defencemen absorb heavier minutes without Makar.
The standings leave little room to be casual.
Colorado entered the night 11-6-2, third in the Central Division and one point behind the Nashville Predators.
The overtime loss makes it 11-6-3.
Travelling with the group is not the same as being cleared to play, so Saturday's lineup is the next real answer.
The trip then finishes Wednesday in Utah against the Mammoth.
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