Avalanche lose Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon to injury, fight back for point against Senators

Corey Masisak, The Denver Post on Nov 12, 2026

Published in Hockey

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OTTAWA — The Colorado Avalanche lost superstars Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon to injury Thursday night within seconds of each other at Canadian Tire Center.

Both players were injured during the second period and did not return for the third during a 4-3 overtime loss against the Ottawa Senators. Both injuries were classified as lower-body issues.

Avs coach Jared Bednar did not have an update after the game, but both were traveling with the team to Montreal for the next stop on this road trip. Bednar said he’s not sure about their status for Saturday night against the Canadiens at Bell Centre.

“Pretty gutsy effort from our group,” Bednar said. “I’ll take it. I mean, we weren’t perfect. We made some mistakes and it cost us. But, all in all, pretty happy with the game and what we did. It’s a big point.”

Makar took the ice for a shift with 9:16 left in the second period, but he stayed out for only four seconds before heading to the locker room. He returned to the game, took a 23-second shift that ended with 5:20 left in the period, and then remained on the Avs bench for the rest of it.

MacKinnon was injured 57 seconds after Makar first left the game. He tried to give Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub a reverse hit in the left corner of the offensive zone. Zub appeared to hit him in the side when they collided, and then, after a shove, MacKinnon dropped to the ice and reached for his side/back area.

He initially stayed on the Avs bench during a timeout, but then limped down the tunnel in pain.

Colorado was trailing 2-0 when Makar and MacKinnon left the game, but the Avs clawed back and took the lead in the third period before losing in overtime in a wild affair.

Avs captain Gabe Landeskog put the Avalanche in front with 9:57 remaining. Minus Makar and MacKinnon, the Avs still scored twice on the power play and once shorthanded to help erase a 2-0 deficit. Brock Nelson set up Landeskog for a one-timer in the slot to make it a 3-2 game.

It was Landeskog’s eight goal of the year. It is also the first time Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark has allowed more than two goals in a game this season. He entered the day with a 7-1 record and a .945 save percentage.

But then Drake Batherson found a late equalizer for the Senators. Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood was trying to cover the puck, but Jordan Spence was able to poke it away from him and then Batherson was on the other side of the scrum to tap it in the net with 4:21 remaining in regulation. Wedgewood had stopped 18 straight shots before Batherson’s tally.

Shane Pinto scored his second goal of the night 2:08 into overtime for the Senators. The shorthanded Avs had Parker Kelly, Logan O’Connor and Brett Kulak on the ice in the 3-on-3 session and Pinto was able to pick off a Kelly pass near the top of the offensive zone. He had a clear path to take on Wedgewood one-on-one and didn’t miss.

“You end up down early and that’s fine,” Landeskog said. “Dig your way out of it. Doesn’t matter who is in, who is out. Having said that, you’d like to be able to close it out with four minutes to go.”

Pinto put the Senators in front at 7:11 of the first period. He blocked Brent Burns’ shot from the right point and then beat Noah Juulsen in a race to the puck at the other end of the ice. Pinto lifted Juulsen’s stick, which broke, and then shot it past Wedgewood almost in one motion.

Tim Stützle made it a 2-0 at 13:13. The puck was behind the Colorado net. Fabian Zetterlund was able to lift Makar’s stick to prevent a potential clearing attempt and then poked it past Devon Toews to Stützle, who was all alone in front. Stützle waited out Wedgewood, deked him to the ice and then flipped the puck in the net past both the goalie and sliding Toews behind him.

Colorado controlled a lot of the play in the first period and only allowed three scoring chances, including two at even strength, per Natural Stat Trick, but both ended up in the Avs net. Wedgewood kept the Senators at bay after that and allowed the Avs to get back into the game even without their two superstars.

Artturi Lehkonen made it 2-1 on the power play late in the second. The goal was set up by Nazem Kadri and rookie T.J. Hughes, who had shifted into MacKinnon’s typical position.

Kelly scored 3:54 into the third while shorthanded. The former Senators player collected the puck and skated up the left wing in what looked like a harmless play, until Kelly ripped a shot past Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark.

“I don’t judge our team on results alone,” Bednar said. “I want to see the effort, the commitment, the work. There’s lots we can clean up from that game, but it’s competitive. That’s what I want to see right now, and we’ll keep working on the other stuff.”