With superstar defenseman Cale Makar sidelined against Vegas, the Colorado Avalanche needs to rely on their depth and their veterans to elevate their game to prevent a 2-0 series deficit.
For most of these Stanley Cup playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche have had very little in the way of adversity. They swept the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, then disposed of an excellent Minnesota Wild team in the second round.
But in their current series against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Avalanche have been without Cale Makar. The superstar defenseman missed Game 1, and the Avs lost that game (and home-ice advantage). And on Friday, the Avalanche announced Makar would miss Game 2.
That means it’s time for Colorado’s defense corps – and the rest of their very deep lineup – to step up and hold the fort so the Avs don’t go down 2-0 in the series.
To be sure, the Avs have one of the best defense corps in the league. From Makar’s D-partner Devon Toews to trade acquisition Brett Kulak to veteran Brett Burns, Colorado has the depth on their back end that they need to survive without Makar.
In Game 1 against the Golden Knights, Toews logged 27:32 of ice time – nearly two full minutes more than his average of 25:41 in these playoffs.
Meanwhile, Kulak’s ice time in Game 1 against Vegas shot up to 23:06 – nearly two full minutes more than he was playing most games against the Wild, and nearly two minutes more than he’d been averaging in this post-season.
And Josh Manson – who has only played six playoff games this season – logged 19:02 against the Golden Knights.
But it isn’t just on defense where Colorado needs players to step up in Makar’s absence. Makar is also a main contributor on offense, posting four goals and five points in nine playoff games this year.
The Avalanche need more from left winger Valeri Nichushkin (two goals and four points in 10 games) and center Brock Nelson (two goals and three points in 10 games), and it’d help if established point-producers Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri and Artturi Lehkonen chipped in more offense.
Even Toews – who has seven assists and nine points – has another gear that he can reach offensively.
The Avalanche’s overall depth is being tested by the Golden Knights, and nothing short of a complete team effort will put Colorado in the win column.
Avs coach Jared Bednar is going to rely on the players he’s succeeded with in the past, but Vegas also has its share of accomplished veterans. So it’s on the Avalanche to show they can take the blow of Makar’s absence and still be a strong squad.
Avs GM Chris MacFarland painstakingly built up his roster so Colorado could withstand adversity. And the Golden Knights are providing that adversity right now.
Makar is one of the best blueliners on the planet, and you’re never going to adequately replace his services. But the Avalanche still have enough talent, not only to be competitive in the series, but to win it and move on to the Stanley Cup final.
If the Avalanche turn things around and eliminate Vegas, it’ll be because they were resilient enough to deal with significant challenges and come out the other side stronger for passing the test. The Avs obviously aren’t as potent without Makar as they are with him, but they can still get the job done and push into the Cup final.
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