WATCH: MacKinnon Leaves Avalanche Game With Apparent Injury

In a disappointing turn of events for the Colorado Avalanche, star center Nathan MacKinnon exited Thursday's game against the Ottawa Senators in the second period due to an apparent midsection injury, possibly involving his hip. The injury occurred when MacKinnon collided with Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub, who immediately went down. MacKinnon, after a brief moment of recovery, skated to the bench where he eventually got up and headed down the tunnel.

The situation was further complicated by the fact that just moments earlier, Cale Makar had left the team's practice area due to an injury sustained during a seemingly innocuous play. Makar, who had been dealing with an injury earlier in the week, still managed to make it to practice and play in Toronto, although he only contributed for one more shift lasting 27 seconds in the second period.

Despite losing two of their key players, the Avalanche managed to score a power-play goal, narrowing the deficit to one goal. However, just as the period was ending, Parker Kelly also departed the game with an apparent injury, exiting straight down the tunnel.

The Avalanche continue to face significant challenges with their roster situation, as they continue to contend with injuries to their top players.