Dating back to Norwegian legends, the Kraken has graced seagoing myths since the 12th century as a giant tentacled creature, capable of capsizing ships and dragging them to the ocean's depths. In more recent pop culture, the Kraken has appeared in the age of piracy as Davy Jone’s pet in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Today, the Seattle Kraken have slowly gained ground across the US (and 7 Canadian cities) as the newest NHL expansion team, making its first playoff appearance in its second year against the weathered Colorado Avalanche.
After the tantalizing 6-4 win in Game 3, it felt like the Avs were poised to take a commanding 3-1 series lead on Monday night, looking to send the Kraken back to the abyss of Seattle. They didn’t. Instead, they let the tentacles grab hold early, and despite a second-period, two-goal comeback, the Avs failed to get the go-ahead goal. They entered OT, and Avs defenseman Josh Manson took a penalty early, and the Kraken immediately capitalized on the man advantage, tying the series at two. Rather than looking to close out the series at home on Wednesday, the Avs will be fighting to gain control and avoid an elimination game in Seattle on Friday.
When you anticipate one outcome, and the opposite happens, you know the unpredictability of the playoffs has officially arrived. It is the time of year when champions are crowned, rivalries are established, and heroes and villains are created. With the absence of Nazem Kadri, it is only natural that a new Av would emerge on the roster for the opposing team’s scorn, but in a dramatic twist, it happens to be the darling of the NHL, Cale Makar. The ruddy-faced, 24-year-old was suspended on Tuesday for a late hit against Seattle Kraken’s Jared McCann for the first time in his career. This is the player who recently waived off a penalty against himself when New York Islander Matthew Barzel appeared to have tripped him. In a show of ultimate sportsmanship, Makar appealed to the refs, confessing that he lost an edge himself and fell. A player who is always mentioned in contention for the Lady Byng Trophy for most gentlemanly conduct faced the continued wrath of Kraken fans with “boos” every time he touched the puck after the hit. The notion of an entire stadium booing Cale Makar is so bizarre that it is laughable. Have we entered the “upsidedown” realm of Stanger Things? Surely, there is a Kraken there too.
The hit occurred when McCann had a short-handed opportunity on the Avs’ first power play of the game late in the first period. The shot ricocheted off Georgiev and out of play, however, McCann followed the puck's trajectory, and as a defenseman should, Makar chased him and checked him into the boards. McCann, Seattle’s top scorer of the regular season with 40 goals, fell to the ice and had to be helped off the rink. Makar was issued a five-minute major but reduced to a minor for interference. McCann did not return to the game and will miss Game 5, at least.
After his hearing on Tuesday, Makar will miss Game 5 as well. The Department of Player Safety explained that McCann was ineligible for a check since the puck was nowhere in his vicinity, leaving him open to an unsuspecting hit that resulted in injury. To be fair, when watching the replay, the puck isn’t around when Makar completes the hit. However, it isn’t clear where the puck is either. We know the puck when into the crowd, now. But in real-time, Makar did not see the puck and followed McCann as he assumed the puck was where his opponent was headed. The league states that it is Makar’s responsibility to know where the puck is before he goes in for the hit.
But let’s be clear that Makar is not a dirty player. He is the type of guy a grandmother loves. As Cale said, “I didn’t feel like I tried to finish him that hard…I’m not trying to hurt anybody. It’s just unfortunate.” Like when Makar took a shoulder-to-head hit by Penguin’s Jeff Carter on February 7th that took Makar out for four games due to a concussion. No penalty was assessed to Carter or to the next hit that took Makar out again in his first game back against St. Louis on February 18th with a hit to the head by Toropchenko, where Makar missed another four contests. Those were different plays, but it demonstrates that injuries happen all the time that go unpunished and are incidental. Makar’s hit on McCann looked like one that I could be capable of doing. It was not a dirty hit. And if you want to question that, I’ll find someone who can show you what one looks like. Unfortunately, he was injured, but it was a product of the quick game, not the ill-intent of Makar.
Despite the loss of Makar (and the game), the Avs can still control the series. Seattle couldn’t have played a better game on Monday; the Avs looked like a defenseless vessel a Kraken tore to bits. But despite the onslaught, the Avs managed to stay afloat on a piece of floating debris, forcing it to the extra period. The intensity with which Seattle starts their games has limits and isn’t sustainable for 60 minutes. The Avalanche must come out strong in the first period for Game 5.
Yes, we are without Makar, Landeskog, Helm, Jack Johnson, and Val Nichushkin, but what else is new for the Avs this year? Missing top players in the lineup is like breathing at this point. The regular season wasn’t pretty, and we shouldn’t expect the playoffs to be any different. But the Avs have continued to survive, just like they will with the series. The Avs will raise their sticks, like Jack Sparrow does his sword, and dive directly into the mouth of the Kraken because champions don’t quit in the face of adversity. I’d like to say that Sam Girard will lead the charge; he resembles a pirate, after all, but keep a weathered eye out for the cunning duo of Nate Dogg and the Moose to out-trick the Kraken, proving that the leviathan can’t survive in landlocked Colorado.
Drink up me Avies, yo ho!