Avs upset by Nathan MacKinnon ejection for goalie interference - ESPN

The Colorado Avalanche sharply disagreed with the officials' decision to give star center Nathan MacKinnon a game misconduct penalty for goalie interference in their 4-3 home loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

With 37 seconds left in the second period and Colorado on a power play, MacKinnon went hard to the net as Brock Nelson sent him a pass. As MacKinnon tipped the puck wide, Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse dove into him, with Nurse's head connecting on MacKinnon's hip. MacKinnon barreled into Oilers goalie Connor Ingram, knocking him to the ice. Ingram would skate off on his own with a cut on his forehead.

The officials gave MacKinnon a major penalty for interference on the goaltender, which carries an automatic game misconduct, and upheld that call after video review. Ingram was replaced by Tristan Jarry, who stopped 11 of 12 shots in the Oilers' win.

«There's no chance that he hits the goalie if Nurse doesn't run into him,» Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. «I don't care if he's injured or not injured, it's a severe crash or not a severe crash. It's not a penalty. If you put guys in your own goalie, it's not a penalty.»

Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said Ingram wasn't allowed back into the game due to the NHL's concussion protocol but noted that the netminder was feeling well after the contest.

The Avalanche would kill off the five-minute major given to MacKinnon but eventually lost the game on a power-play goal by Oilers star Connor McDavid in the third period.

Knoblauch said the MacKinnon penalty was a «difficult one» for the officials to make.

«Obviously, you have to protect your goalies. It wasn't on purpose, but you have to be careful with goaltenders» Knoblauch said. «Obviously, they lost a good