Michael McCarron Calls Josh Manson ‘Dirty,’ But Wild Have Bigger Problems Than A Butt-End

· Yahoo Sports

ST. PAUL, Minn. — In Game 4 of the second round matchup between the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche, some controversy broke out.

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Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson, who missed the first three games of the series with an injury, received a heavy hit by Michael McCarron in the first period.

McCarron blasted Manson and while Manson was going down, he brought McCarron down with him. 

After the two were on the ice, Manson decided to ram the end of his stick into McCarron's ear.

After review, the NHL claimed that Manson attempted a butt-end on McCarron but did not successfully complete it.

NHL Rule 58.5 indicates a double minor is issued for an attempt to butt-end, and an actual butt-end would be a 5-minute major and a game misconduct.

"I'm not sure exactly what their options are when they make that call. I was just hoping that it didn't have to be a major because I didn't think like, he definitely hits him with a stick. And, you know, a little undiscipline there, but it didn't look to me like it was vicious enough to be like a five minute major and a game misconduct," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said. "So at that point, I was just kind of hoping for the best, and for Manson to stay in the game.

"I think they probably made the right call. He was able to do that, you know, they got the power-play goal out of it, and then we had to go to work and try to even the game up."

As for the Wild head coach?

"I didn't get an explanation, but I didn't ask either," John Hynes said. "You know, at that point in time, the call is made, you've got to be able to control what you can control, and at that point, it was completely out of my control. So, you know, the focus is on the game."

As Bednar mentioned, the Wild scored on the power play. Would the game have been different if Manson was out the rest of the game?

No. Probably not, considering how the Wild played.

Still, even after the game, McCarron was hot about it.

“Well I blew him up and he grabbed me and pulled me on top of him. I mean he’s a dirty player," McCarron said on Manson. "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. He’s a dirty player. He’s always been. Not very well-respected.”

As for Manson?

“He hits me, but then he lands on me. I didn’t really like that. … I butt-ended him. Was that on purpose? Was that my intention? Absolutely not. … Did I want to punch him in the head? I did want to punch him in the head.”

Not only did McCarron call Manson a dirty player to us after the game, he said it on ESPN after the first period.

"That's fine," Manson said on McCarron calling him dirty. "If he wants to call me a dirty player, he can look at my history. It's been 13 years, and I haven't been suspended yet. So, obviously, I'm not that dirty. I think there are other guys in the league that are doing more."

Whether McCarron believes Manson crossed the line or not, the reality is the Wild have bigger problems to worry about. Minnesota is now one loss away from elimination, trailing the series 3-1 against an Avalanche team that has controlled long stretches of the matchup.

And for all the talk about dirty plays and controversy, Manson’s point is hard to ignore. In 13 NHL seasons, he has never been suspended. Meanwhile, McCarron has been suspended and fined multiple times, including something against the Wild.

Now the Wild are running out of time to change the only thing that truly matters right now: the series. Not Manson's acts.

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