Cale Makar will not play in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.
Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said his Norris Trophy-winning defenseman will miss the first contest of this best-of-series Wednesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights and considers him day-to-day.
“Yeah, I expect him back (in this series),” Bednar said after the morning skate. “I think he’s doing a lot better. He’s on the ice again this morning, feeling pretty good. So, I got him as day-to-day.”
Makar has played in every game this postseason, but was clearly laboring in Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild. He missed a chunk of the third period in that game after leaving the playing area while favoring his shoulder. Bednar has mentioned that Makar is dealing with “some stuff” or “things” recently, suggesting there is more than one ailment he has been trying to play through.
The two-time Norris Trophy winner, who is a finalist this season for a sixth time in his seven NHL seasons, still played 25:50 in the 4-3 overtime comeback win to close out the Wild in five games. He only played 17:11 in Game 1 of the series, in part because of an awkward collision behind the net.
Makar has four goals and an assist in nine playoff games. Bednar said Jack Ahcan will play in place of Makar. He also said that everyone else among the regulars is healthy, so Sam Malinski and Artturi Lehkonen will return after missing the final two games of the Wild series.
“Best defenseman in the world,” Avs forward Logan O’Connor said. “He’s not going to be easily replaced. There’s not one guy that’s going to be able to do it. I think the advantage we have with the group we have in the game tonight is a lot of guys can be minute-munchers for us. (Brett Kulak), Sammy Malinski, (Josh Manson), (Devon Toews) — those guys can play heavy, hard minutes for us.
“We know we’re going to have to maybe execute a bit of a different game plan — be that much tighter defensively and just try not to get ahead of ourselves offensively, just be patient within the game. Cale presents a dynamic ability that is super unique in the league and no one’s going to replicate that tonight, but it’s on the D-corps as a whole, and our group as a whole, to try and pick it up when we can.”
