MacDonald column: Mistakes and “mental errors” doom Avalanche in loss to Vegas

Well that right there, ladies and gentlemen, was playoff hockey. The back-and-forth, the on-edgeness, the drama. All of it. But in the end, the Avalanche finally met their match against the Vegas Golden Knights Saturday afternoon in a game dominated by “greasy, industrious hockey,” as NBC’s Eddie Olczyk so poetically put it during the game’s broadcast.

The result of this blue-collar game was a loss for the Avalanche, which means Colorado claims the second seed in the Western Conference. The Avs now draw the No. 7-seeded Arizona Coyotes in what will be their first taste of real meaningful, consequential playoff hockey.

“Obviously losing today sucks, but we’re the No. 2 seed in the West,” Nathan MacKinnon said after the game. “We’re not in a bad spot. We’re feeling good heading into the first round.”