LOS ANGELES — A fan in the Salt Lake City crowd last week had quickly whipped up a bootleg T-shirt with a photo of a disappointed Nathan MacKinnon following Canada’s gold-medal defeat at the hands of Team USA.

What did the shirt say?

“You be the judge of who was the better team today.”

That’s what MacKinnon said after the loss to the United States in Milan. Of course, that’s not all he said. It’s just the line that, in this day and age, was going to get the most clicks.

“It’s been close for a while. You know, they’re an amazing, skilled group of players,” MacKinnon told reporters after the gold-medal game. “Just, yeah. I just felt like it wasn’t going to be. You guys can be the judge of who the better team was tonight. But they won. We lost.”

See, with the entire quote, it does not come across nearly the way one, single line does. Unfortunately, people on the internet aren’t looking for the full context. They’d rather rush to judgment, which means MacKinnon has become the “bad guy” because of one line taken out of context.

He does not appear to care about the noise, however. As disappointed as he was with how things ended in Milan, he explained ahead of Colorado’s 4-2 that he had the time of his life.

“I had an amazing time. It was a really unique hockey experience. Nothing but good memories,” MacKinnon said. “Obviously, it stings. Still stings. But I had an amazing time. Everyone did, and nothing but positive memories from that tournament.”

While MacKinnon did not miss any games during the tournament, there had been some speculation he was either battling illness or an injury while in Milan. Some television cameras caught him vomiting on the bench during one of the games and he missed a few of Canada’s practices.

MacKinnon occasionally skips practices and morning skates with the Avalanche to take care of his body, so it’s not abnormal for him to focus on the games. But the Avalanche fan base was growing concerned their star player had been injured while not wearing the burgundy and blue.

While it might not be an injury, it does not sound like he was 100%.

“A couple things,” MacKinnon said when asked if he was playing through anything during the Olympics. “It’s part of it and it’s not easy sometimes, but you know, nothing too crazy.”

MacKinnon missed Colorado’s first game out of the break in Utah but dressed against both Minnesota and Chicago, registering four assists and 14 shots on goal across the two games.

The 30-year-old superstar, who will always give an honest answer if you ask him a question, admitted that jumping from one of the most intense games of his career back into regular-season hockey wasn’t easy. Colorado’s schedule and the hectic travel do not help either.

“It’s difficult. Still feels like we’re (on) Europe time a little bit,” MacKinnon said. “I was prepared after the 4 Nations last year, and it’s hard. It’s really hard. Like I said, I was ready, so it wasn’t as difficult this time, but it’s just a different level of intensity. Do-or-die and emotions are nervous and everything. You’re not that nervous in February for a game, so that’s just the way it is. (The Olympics) just feels like a bunch of Game 7s over and over again.”

MacKinnon had not experienced the Olympics due to the NHL skipping the past two Games. He has now turned his attention toward another Stanley Cup.

“I don’t get paid by them. I get paid here,” MacKinnon said. “I’m really happy to be back and try to chase down home ice here and hopefully go deep (in the playoffs).”

Avalanche 4, Kings 2

What happened: Colorado dominated all game, sticking with it to break away in the third period.

What went right: The top line for the Avalanche was able to do pretty much whatever they wanted on the evening. When MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog were out there, it was almost always in the Kings zone.

What went wrong: Artturi Lehkonen left the game early in the first period with what the team is calling an upper-body injury. He did not return to the game.

Avalanche goal scorers: MacKinnon (41), Landeskog (8), Toews (2), Necas (26)

Kings goal scorers: Clarke (8), Booth (1)

Between the pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood got the start; Scott Wedgewood will likely get the net for the second half of the back-to-back.

What’s next: The Avalanche are back at it on Tuesday in Anaheim as they take on the Ducks at 8 p.m.