Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was fined $5,000 by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Thursday for tossing Conor Garland’s helmet at his face in the third period of Wednesday’s 9-3 rout of the Arizona Coyotes at Ball Arena.

MacKinnon who won the Lady Byng Trophy last season for sportsmanship combined with excellent play, was assessed a double-minor for roughing and 10-minute misconduct at 14:41 of the period.

Here’s my NHL.com RECAP of Wednesday’s game, which included Joonas Donskoi’s first-period hat trick and a third-period assist.

MacKinnon and Garland got into a scrap near the left-wing boards, Garland’s helmet came off, and MacKinnon tossed it at him underhand.

Nathan MacKinnon got a 10-min misconduct for tossing Conor Garland's helmet at him. 🤭 pic.twitter.com/HdQHogvSut

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 1, 2021

The 14 penalty minutes were four more than MacKinnon was assessed in his first 29 games and two more than he received last season.

Coach Jared Bednar’s prediction that MacKinnon would avoid a suspension proved to be accurate.

“I would think the misconduct would cover it,” he said after the game. “You’ve seen a few instances like that in the past. He may have to be a little lighter in the wallet maybe, but I would think that would probably be it.”

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Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer and Denver nurse Gina Minert were named the league’s West Division stars for March.

Minert serves as the director of the mom/baby unit at Denver’s Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, where she has worked for more than 21 years.

Known around the hospital for her acts of kindness and commitment to staff, patients, and the community, Minert has created gift baskets for nurses and purchased toys for children who have tested positive for COVID-19.

She also has been instrumental in leading the hospital’s vaccination clinic during the pandemic, literally going the extra mile by traveling to a person’s home when they couldn’t get to the hospital for their needed dose.

Minert also has filled in as the hospital’s incident commander over the past year to help coordinate its response to coronavirus.

Grubauer became the fifth goalie in NHL history to win 12 games in a calendar month, posting a 12-2-1 record, 1.56 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and three shutouts. He allowed two or fewer goals in 11 of his 15 appearances.

Grubauer, who has gone 10-0-1 in his past 11 games, leads the league in wins (22) and shutouts (five). He’s third in GAA (1.78) and fifth in save percentage (.928).



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