- Bednar rules Cale Makar out for Game 2 of the Western Conference Final vs. Vegas
- Makar skated more than 30 minutes and took reps with the top power-play unit before being scratched
- Read below for the full Bednar video, Manson’s “generational player” line, and Colorado’s blue-line shuffle
Cale Makar is out for Game 2.
Head coach Jared Bednar ruled the Norris Trophy finalist out after Friday’s morning skate at Ball Arena, even though Makar took the ice for more than half an hour and grabbed reps with Colorado’s top power-play unit. It will be the second straight game the 27-year-old misses with an upper-body injury.
Bednar was asked about the rest of the Game 2 lineup:
“I’m not going to give you any other lineup decisions. I’ll give you (Makar) is out, that’s it.”
Catch the full Bednar availability from DNVR Sports:
Vegas leads the series 1-0 after stealing Game 1 by a 4-2 score, the first playoff game Makar has missed in his career. The two-time Norris winner went through skating, shooting, and passing drills, then jumped on for reps on the No. 1 power play. None of it was enough to clear him for tonight.
The Avalanche bench boss isn’t leaning on the absence as a crutch:
“It hurts when you don’t have Makar, but every team is going through it. Our goal is to be the best version of ourselves we can be tonight, and that’s without Cale, and so be it. I still think we are capable of winning a hockey game if we are better than we were the other night.”
Defenseman Josh Manson talked about what gets lost when Makar isn’t on the ice:
“He’s a generational player. So when you’re out there, I don’t think you want to think about it. I think you just got to keep playing and doing your best to win the game.”
Nick Blankenburg is expected to draw in for Jack Ahcan on the back end. Ahcan skated just 7:34 in Game 1 and finished a minus-1. Devon Toews keeps quarterbacking the top power play in Makar’s absence.
What the Avs are missing on the blue line, in one clip:
Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. ET on TNT. The Avalanche need to find a way to even the series before it shifts to T-Mobile Arena.
