Avalanche star center Nathan MacKinnon left Game 3 of the Western Conference Final with an injury after he blocked a shot Sunday in Las Vegas.
The puck appeared to hit MacKinnon around his right knee with 7:54 left in the second period of the Stanley Cup Playoff game between the Avs and Golden Knights. MacKinnon hit the deck, and the whistle blew 11 seconds later as he remained on the ground in visible pain.
He played two shifts after the injury. The first lasted 32 seconds. On the next one, he stayed on the ice for only 16 seconds before leaving the game and limping to the locker room.
He was not with the team on Colorado’s bench for the start of the third period.
MacKinnon had 15 points in 12 playoff games this season at the time of the injury, including an assist early in Game 3 against Vegas. The Avalanche entered the game trailing the Golden Knights 2-0 in the series.
