Nathan MacKinnon skated off the ice at Ball Arena drained on Wednesday.

With the Colorado Avalanche down two key players, MacKinnon knew he’d need to play a large role in Game 5 of the first-round playoff series against Seattle. He did that, skating for almost half of the game (27 minutes) and scoring a goal.

But ultimately, MacKinnon’s fatigue and contributions didn’t lead to a win.

The Avs fell 3-2 as Seattle took a 3-2 series lead. They are now a game away from elimination, just a year removed from winning the Stanley Cup.

“We’re just shooting ourselves in the foot,” MacKinnon said. “There’s plays to be made out there, and we’re just not making them right now.”

Defenseman Cale Makar (suspension) and forward Valeri Nichushkin (personal reasons) were both absent from the lineup. Without Makar’s physicality and Nichushkin’s net-front presence, Colorado had a major void on the sheet.

And MacKinnon did well to fill it.

His goal in the second period came just minutes after Seattle’s Morgan Geekie scored the first one of the game.

A slapshot from Mikko Rantanen came swiftly into the chest of Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer and floated into the air. MacKinnon lifted his stick and whacked it in mid-air and into Seattle’s net.

That was a momentum builder and gave the home crowd a much-needed spark after the Kraken’s goal silenced it minutes before.

But the energy didn’t last long: Seattle’s Tye Kartye, playing in his NHL debut, scored as the Kraken reclaimed their lead.

MacKinnon was a major part of that play, too.

The forward appeared to be tripped in Colorado’s attacking zone, but it wasn’t called. Out of frustration, MacKinnon slammed his stick into the glass while the Kraken went on the rush.

By the time MacKinnon got to the defensive zone, Seattle had the lead.

MacKinnon acknowledged that he believed it was a penalty. But he also admitted that he should’ve handled it better.

“I feel like that’s a trip, but it is what it is,” MacKinnon said. “I have to keep my cool. I can’t get upset. That’s on me.”

Yanni Gourde scored another one to stretch Seattle’s cushion at the beginning of the third period. The Avs got an answer from Evan Rodrigues, but they didn’t score again, giving Seattle the series lead.

MacKinnon finished the game with four shots on goal.

Offensively, it has been a two-man show for the Avs in this series: Rantanen and MacKinnon have combined for eight goals. The rest of Colorado’s skaters have just five.

For the Avs to win the next two games and advance to the second round, it will have to be more of a collective scoring effort.

Even so, MacKinnon believes the blame for their first-round struggles is on everyone — including him.

“We have to find a way,” MacKinnon said. “I don’t know exactly what’s been going on, but we still have a chance to turn it around.”

Center Nathan MacKinnon (29) and the Colorado Avalanche warm up before Game 5 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Seattle Kraken April 26 at Ball Arena in Denver.

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Christian Murdock, The Gazette