Jared Bednar's controversial decision just made him public enemy number one in Denver
Jared Bednar is going to be answering this question for the rest of the off-season.
Avalanche fans and league watchers are calling out the head coach for putting a clearly hurting Nathan MacKinnon on the most important power play of Colorado's season.
The criticism is loud. NHL Review captured the mood on Sunday: this kind of deployment SHOULD put Bednar on the hot seat. Strong word.
MacKinnon had blocked a shot earlier in the game, stayed down in visible pain, and was seen limping down the tunnel. Then he was back on the ice for a marquee power play.
That's the part fans can't square. You don't risk a $12.6 million franchise player on a single special-teams shift when he can barely move.
The Avs captain just authored a 127-point regular season at age 30. 53 goals. Plus-57 rating. The most important asset Colorado has, period.
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Colorado finished first overall at 55-16-11 with 121 points and a plus-99 differential. The roster is loaded. The expectations are higher than the regular-season finish.
Bednar has been behind this bench since 2016. He's already won a Stanley Cup. He's not a coach who survives or doesn't survive on one decision.
But context matters. Cale Makar entered this round with a day-to-day designation. The Avs blue line was already thin. Now the captain is dragging a leg through important minutes.
Was the power play that important? Bednar clearly thought so. The question is whether MacKinnon should have been the one being asked to deliver it in that state.
The eye test was rough. The replay was rougher. Watching your best player limp through his offensive zone shouldn't be part of any playoff broadcast.
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GM Chris MacFarland has built this group to peak in May and June. Losing MacKinnon for even one game gives Vegas the kind of opening the Knights have been waiting for all spring.
The Avalanche need their captain ready. The bench coach has to balance urgency tonight against availability tomorrow.
A coach with Bednar's resume doesn't get fired off Twitter. He does get questioned. And the questions are valid.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 24, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| William Karlsson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Mark Stone | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Kaedan Korczak | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Devon Toews | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jack Drury | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nazem Kadri | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Keegan Kolesar | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Gabriel Landeskog | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Dylan Coghlan | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Parker Kelly | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nathan MacKinnon | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Manson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Martin Necas | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Shea Theodore | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | - | - | |
| Brent Burns | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||