Nathan MacKinnon goalie interference major on Connor Ingram ignites Avalanche vs Oilers controversy
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Bruce Raymond
Mar 11, 2026 (9:33)
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Photo credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Nathan MacKinnon's goalie interference major on Connor Ingram flipped Avalanche vs Oilers, and the fallout feels bigger than one hit.
Colorado was humming, then the second period turned into a rules seminar nobody asked for.
Late Tuesday night in Denver, the Edmonton Oilers escaped with a 4-3 win and snapped the Avalanche's five-game streak.
The play was simple at first glance: MacKinnon cuts through the crease on a Colorado power play, contact happens, and Ingram goes down hard.
Officials took their time, then dropped the hammer, a five-minute major plus a game misconduct for goaltender interference.
That's why this is blowing up, because majors on star players are rare, and game misconducts for crease collisions are even rarer.
The broadcast angle makes it look ugly, with MacKinnon's knee rising as Ingram's head snaps back.
The counterargument is just as loud, Darnell Nurse bumps MacKinnon toward the blue paint, and the lane disappears in a heartbeat.
Either way, Edmonton got a huge emotional surge, and Colorado had to play the rest of the night without its engine.
MacKinnon came in with monster numbers, 42 goals and 103 points, and the Avalanche power play suddenly had to improvise without him.
Nathan MacKinnon puts the Colorado Avalanche in a bind
Avs fans are furious, not because Ingram got hurt, but because it felt like the call ignored the shove that started the chain reaction.
Colorado actually killed the major, which says a lot about how locked-in that penalty kill can be when it has to be.
Still, losing MacKinnon changes every matchup, every faceoff plan, and every late-game push.
Ingram leaving the game mattered too, with Tristan Jarry stepping in cold and holding the fort for Edmonton.
Jared Bednar didn't hide his anger afterward, and that's usually a sign the room thinks it got jobbed.
Now the scary part: if the league reviews it further, Colorado could be staring at a suspension in the middle of a stretch run.
Thursday in Seattle is already looming, because the Avalanche need points, and they might need them without MacKinnon.
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