Teetering on a playoff berth with just six remaining regular-season games, the Avalanche will continue to make its valiant push without its top two wingers who have combined for 64 of the team’s 240 goals.
Right winger , who has missed the last two games with an injury to his midsection, didn’t practice Tuesday and will not play in Wednesday’s games against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights. And left wing will miss his ninth consecutive game Wednesday with a separated shoulder — although the Avs’ captain is showing considerable improvement by completing a full practice in a non-contact sweater Tuesday.
Surprisingly, Colorado is 5-2-1 without Landeskog in the lineup and 1-0-1 without both Landeskog and Rantanen.
“Mikko’s one of the best wingers in the NHL and Gabe is one of the best two-way players in the NHL. So, you know, you lose two guys like, it’s going to hurt your team,” star Avs center said Tuesday. “We’ve weathered the storm since those guys have been hurt and we have a tough schedule coming up. It’s going to be tough.”
The Avs (34-29-13, 81 points) complete a two-game homestand Friday against the , who entered Tuesday’s games two points behind Colorado for the last Western Conference wild-card spot. The Coyotes (36-33-7, 79 points) host the on Tuesday.
Avalanche coach was asked if Rantanen, who is listed as day-to-day, might be available for Friday’s big game: “I can’t answer that right now, to be honest with you,” the coach said. “He’s not going to go tomorrow and then we’ll reevaluate from there.”
Landeskog was expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks after he suffered his injury March 7. He is two days short of three weeks.
“He’s making progress, for sure. He’s feeling better every day,” Bednar said of Landeskog. “Every day, the more he does, you got to see how he feels the next morning and then we make decisions based on how he’s feeling from there. But he hasn’t taken contact yet.”
On the positive side of the injury front, left wing and defenseman have been cleared to return from long absences. Nieto has missed 15 games with a broken foot and Barberio hasn’t played since Jan. 21 because of two injuries and being a healthy scratch.
Nieto will play Wednesday but Barberio is currently the Avs’ No. 8 defenseman and a likely healthy scratch.
“I’m happy to be healthy and coming back at a time like this, where every game is important, every game is a playoff game,” Nieto said. “It’s part of the competitive nature that we all love in here, and we all want to play for. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game but we’ve had a lot of different guys stepping up. Just a handful of games left and you have to put it all on the line.”
With Nieto’s return, the Avs might return to a traditional lineup of 12 forwards and six defensemen. Bednar has used 11 forwards and seven defensemen the last five games.
Bednar no longer names his starting goalie before gameday but Philipp Grubauer is expected to make his sixth consecutive start. Grubauer is 4-0-1 during the best stretch of the season.
Wild race
Three teams are chasing the Avalanche for the last Western Conference wild-card playoff spot. A look at the race:
Avalanche (34-29-13, 81 points). Remaining games (6): Wednesday vs. VGK; Friday vs. ARZ; Monday at STL; April 2 vs. EDM; April 4 vs. WPG; April 6 at SJS.
Arizona Coyotes (36-33-7, 79 points). Remaining games (6): Tuesday vs. CHI; Friday at COL; Sunday vs. MIN; April 2 vs. LAK; April 4 at VGK; April 6 vs. WPG.
Minnesota Wild (35-33-9, 79 points). Remaining games (5): Friday at VGK; Sunday at ARZ; April 2 vs. WPG; April 4 vs. BOS; April 6 at DAL.
Chicago Blackhawks (33-32-10, 76 points). Remaining games (7): Tuesday at ARZ; Thursday at SJS; Saturday at LAK; Monday vs. WPG; April 3 vs. STL; April 5 vs. DAL; April 6 at NSH.
