Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon exits ice in Game 3 amid possible injury

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon had a scary moment in the second period of Sunday night’s pivotal Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

MacKinnon was clearly hurt after trying to block a shot that appeared to hit him in his right knee. The 30-year-old center immediately writhed in pain on the ice. He was later attended by Colorado’s medical staff and his teammates, as he skated off the ice to get checked on.

Play was blown dead as Nathan MacKinnon was in a TON of pain after blocking a shot and stayed down for a while pic.twitter.com/WeV4516YLy

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 25, 2026

Here’s more update from Mark Lazerus of The Athletic, via a social media post on X (formerly Twitter): “Nathan MacKinnon had two shifts after blocking a shot off his knee. They lasted 32 seconds and 16 seconds, and he didn’t look comfortable at all.”

After spending some time on the bench, MacKinnon was seen on the broadcast leaving for the locker room. If anything, he did not need any assistance, as he made his way off the bench.

Hopefully MacKinnon is ok…

Why like this pic.twitter.com/Bdj0zBc08q

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) May 25, 2026

Any absence by MacKinnon would be a significant blow for the Avs’ chances of overcoming a 2-0 series deficit against the Golden Knights.

Colorado started Game 3 on fire, outscoring the Golden Knights, 3-0, in the first period. However, Vegas responded in the second frame with three goals while holding the Avs scoreless in the period.

The former Hart Memorial Trophy winner entered Game 3 of the Golden Knights series with seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the regular season, he posted 53 goals with 74 assists for 127 points, while missing only two games.

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