Avalanche's Manson Draws Double-Minor for Butt-Ending Wild's McCarron in Game 4

The Colorado Avalanche took a 3-1 lead in their second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild with a 5-2 victory in Game 4. Tensions boiled over off the ice after an incident that led to a four-minute minor penalty for Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson.

In the first period, Wild forward Michael McCarron delivered a hard check on Manson and fell on top of him. The players wrestled briefly before Manson struck McCarron in the side of the head with the butt-end of his stick. McCarron went down in pain, and video review resulted in a double-minor penalty for butt-ending against Manson.

The Wild capitalized on the ensuing power play to score. During an intermission interview with ESPN, McCarron criticized Manson. After the game, McCarron continued his complaints.

"I blew him up, and he grabbed me and pulled me on top of him," McCarron said. "He took his butt end and clearly butt-ended me in the face. I don’t know how it’s not a five-minute. I think the rulebook says it’s a five-minute if you butt-end someone in the face."

Manson, according to Sportsnet, said he lost awareness of his hand position on the stick while swinging at McCarron, whom he was angry at for falling on him. "My intention wasn't to butt-end him. Did I want to punch him in the head? I did want to punch him in the head," Manson said.

The series moves to Denver for Game 5. Minnesota faces an uphill battle to extend its postseason.