Nathan MacKinnon criticized for brutal hit on Matt Boldy

The Colorado Avalanche have taken a 2–0 lead in their series against the Minnesota Wild after a 5–2 victory on Tuesday. Despite the win, however, fans are now calling for Nathan MacKinnon to be suspended for a hit he delivered on Matt Boldy.

After the high-scoring 9–6 blowout in Game 1, Game 2 between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild “only” featured seven goals, as the Avalanche secured a 5–2 win.

Avalanche lead series 2-0

The second-round series in the Western Conference between the Avalanche and the Wild is considered by many to be the toughest matchup in this year’s playoffs. Meanwhile, the Avalanche now hold a 2–0 lead as the series heads to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4. Game 3, meanwhile, is set to be played on Saturday night.
“Much better tonight. Still made a couple mistakes, for sure. Things we can continue to clean up to tighten things up—but I thought the commitment was there. The details were much better in all situations. It’s a hard-fought game. The difference for me is special teams. We did a nice job 5-on-5; they did a better job 5-on-5,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters after the game.

Nathan MacKinnon called out

Nathan MacKinnon recorded one goal and two assists and now has three consecutive three-point games. However, despite his strong performance, Wild fans are not only unhappy with the result. They are also furious with MacKinnon, who delivered a brutal hit on Matt Boldy, who was slow to get up afterward. As a result, fans say MacKinnon should have been penalized for boarding. Some fans even arguing that he should face a suspension.
“This is boarding—except for league favorites who are untouchable,” one fan wrote on X.
“Blatant boarding, and he wouldn’t take a fight for it either. Minnesota should make him answer for that,” another wrote.
“This is such a dirty and dangerous play. This should be a suspension,” a third wrote.
You can watch the hit below.