Edmonton's Mattias Ekholm delivers questionable hit to Mikko Rantanen
It was a battle of two Western Conference heavyweights in Edmonton on Friday night as the Oilers hosted Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche. In the second period however, a moment occurred that is leaving Avalanche fans quite worried with the playoffs right around the corner.
Early in the second period, Edmonton Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm stepped up into the Avalanche zone while Rantanen had his back turned to him while waiting to receive a pass and the Swedish blueliner laid a big hit on the Finnish forward.
Rantanen was slow to get to his feet and once he did, he was very wobbly, needing help to get back to the Avalanche bench, and eventually the dressing room. Ekholm got away with no penalty on the play, while Avalanche defenceman Jack Johnson was handed a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct while trying to get the Oilers defenceman to drop the mitts.
Rantanen remained in the Avalanche dressing room for the remainder of the second period and with fans anxiously waiting for an update on his status, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman shared that he didn't return to the team's bench for the third period.
The 27-year-old has played a key role in the Colorado Avalanche's success thus far in the 2023-24 season. In 77 games, the Nousiainen, Finland native has 102 points (40 goals, 62 assists), 50 penalty minutes and is a plus-20.
It'll likely be a few days before the Avalanche will update the status of Mikko Rantanen, but with the Stanley Cup Playoffs starting in exactly two weeks, they'll be hoping he'll be back by then.
| POLL | ||
Should Mattias Ekholm be suspended or fined for his hit on Mikko Rantanen? | ||
| Yes, suspended | 71 | 32.1 % |
| Yes, fined | 33 | 14.9 % |
| No, shouldn't face any discipline | 117 | 52.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
