"Cross checked him on the brain stem", "Finnish mafia": NHL fans react as head check on Nathan MacKinnon goes uncalled

NHL fans on social media reacted to an unpenalized cross-check on Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon.

In Game 5 of the Avalanche-Stars series on Monday, Stars' Roope Hintz delivered a cross-check to the back of Nathan MacKinnon's head near the faceoff circle. However, no call was made on the play, prompting fans to share their reactions on social media.

Here's a video of the play:

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One fan on X (formerly Twitter) wrote:

"Hot damn! Finnish mafia baby!!"

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Another chimed in:

"Cross checked him on his brain stem, yet no call!"

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"No, the whole team has to jump him after that. The f*ck is he doing?" a third fan commented.

"And the penalty on Malinski after we scored the second goal was absolutely a garbage call. Dallas getting away with whatever they want. And there Ice and arena sucks. Hockey doesn’t belong in Texas. Sorry ahh state," one opined.

"We've learned from other series that this is now a legal means to crosscheck an opposing player - make some amount of contact with the head and it's legal," one X user wrote.

"There are so many missed calls in this series for both sides. At least he didn't full on superman forearm shiver him and score the tieing goal. I'm so pissed for the TBL fans," another chimed in.

Nathan MacKinnon and Avs drop Game 5 to Stars

On Monday, the Dallas Stars hosted the Colorado Avalanche at American Airlines Center for Game 5. The Stars took a commanding 6-2 win to lead the series 3-2.

Wyatt Johnson put the Stars ahead 1-0 just nine seconds into the game. Thomas Harley increased the lead to 2-0 at 19:15. Entering the second period, Mikko Rantanen made it 3-0 for the Stars at 1:12.

Artturi Lehkonen cut the Stars' lead to 3-1 after scoring a tip-in goal at 12:11. Nathan MacKinnon then cut the deficit to 3-2 for the Avs at 14:38. Johnson doubled his tally on the night after scoring on the power play to make it 4-2 at 16:48.

Mason Marchment increased the Stars' lead to 5-2 before the end of the second period. Hintz scored on an empty-net to clinch the win for the Stars at 17:55 into the final period.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta