LAS VEGAS — Cale Makar is back.
Makar will return for Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights after missing the first two contests in this series with an upper-body injury.
The two-time Norris Trophy winner was on the ice for warmups and took line rushes with normal partner Devon Toews. They are slated to be in the starting as well. Makar has missed the first two games of the series while Vegas built a 2-0 lead with back-to-back wins at Ball Arena.
When Jared Bednar was asked about the superstar defenseman ahead of this contest Sunday morning at T-Mobile Arena, the Colorado Avalanche coach did not bite.
“You’ll have to wait and see,” Bednar said.
Makar missed seven games near the end of the regular season with an injury, but returned for Games 81 and 82, and had a strong opening-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. He missed the final 17 minutes of the first period in Game 1 against Minnesota after an awkward collision with Marcus Foligno, but returned for the rest of that contest.
He also missed a little more than five minutes of the third period in the clinching Game 5 against the Wild when he cut a shift short and was favoring his shoulder as he went down the tunnel towards the locker room. Makar returned for five shifts between the end of regulation and overtime, but two of them were shorter than his typical workload.
The Avs have scored just three goals in the first two games without Makar, and one was at 6-on-4 with the goalie pulled. Makar has four goals and an assist in nine playoff games. His expected goals for percentage (xGF%) at 5-on-5 is the highest among the Avs’ regulars at 61.71%.
