Avalanche preseason clash ends in disaster for Mammoth's star forward
Photo credit: Jess Starr / The Hockey Writers
The Utah Mammoth endure a significant blow as star forward Logan Cooley is sidelined, compounding the disappointment of Sunday's back-to-back preseason losses to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avalanche won both games by a score of 5-1 at Magness Arena and 3-2 at Ball Arena.
Logan Cooley goes down in Sunday's 5-1 preseason loss to the Avalanche.
Brogan Houston from Deseret News writes that midway through the 3rd period, Avalanche prospect Zakhar Bardakov, who joined the team from the KHL this spring, delivered a hit from behind that struck Logan Cooley.
"Cooley went to the locker room shortly thereafter. It's possible that the team just wanted to protect one of their most important players in a meaningless game, but it's also possible that there's a legitimate injury there." -Houston
That's one of the risks of preseason games. Some players are battling to secure their roster spots, while others are merely trying to get in some practice. When those two groups collide, the result can be dangerous.
"There's probably no good solution to this problem, but teams do need to make it clear to their non-NHL players that dirty plays are unacceptable - and the NHL Department of Player Safety should do the same." -Houston
Hockey's unwritten 'code' holds that a cheap shot deserves retaliation. That was evident in game one when Mammoth's Sam Lipkin elbowed Avalanche superstar defenseman Cale Makar, and Utah's Lawson Crouse made sure it happened again after Bardakov's hit on Cooley.
With 5-1 and 3-2 wins, the Avalanche completed the weekend sweep. Standouts included Gavin Brindley, who scored twice; Tristen Nielsen, who quietly proved his value; Necas showing that he doesn't need Nathan MacKinnon to produce; and Landeskog, who demonstrated why he's one of the best captains in the NHL.
The Colorado Avalanche appear more than ready for the season ahead.
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SEPTEMBRE 22 | 14 ANSWERS Avalanche preseason clash ends in disaster for Mammoth's star forward Should the NHL reduce the amount of preseason games to avoid further injuries? | ||
| yes | 9 | 64.3 % |
| no | 5 | 35.7 % |
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