The Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights are ready to hit the ice on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. But Cale Makar’s absence could become a major storyline.
The Avalanche superstar blueliner has apparently been dealing with an upper-body injury, stemming from an injury sustained in late March.
Earlier pieces here on Heavy have looked into Makar’s injury and its potential repercussions. That said, one of Makar’s teammates, defenseman Sam Malinski, made comments on Tuesday suggesting that Cale Makar could miss Game 1.
“I don’t know what to tell them. Obviously, it would be great to have him out here. You can’t replace him, and we’re going to miss him out there. Yeah, hopefully we can still get it done without him.”
Malinski fielded a question regarding what he would tell fans concerned about Makar’s health status. Malinski’s words seemingly contradict the prevailing narrative, with coach Jared Bednar making it clear that there’s nothing of concern regarding Makar’s status.
However, there is room for doubt. Cale Makar briefly left Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild, but returned. Now, that was a week ago. So, the Norris Trophy winner has had some time to mend. But if fears of a separated shoulder prove correct, Makar may need more than just a few days to recover.
Losing Cale Makar Would Be Major Blow to Avalanche
It goes without saying that missing Cale Makar would be a major blow to the Colorado Avalanche’s chances of winning Game 1 on Wednesday night.
The Avs have already dealt with injuries on the blue line this postseason, losing Josh Manson and Malinski at various points in the postseason. The latter has missed the last two games with a suspected lower-body injury.
According to Bednar, all of the Avalanche’s ailing players should be available for Game 1 against the Golden Knights. Nevertheless, questions have emerged due to various players, like Makar, Manson, Brent Burns, and Artturi Lehkonen, missing practice over the last week.
While such situations are not uncommon during the postseason, missing practice generally fuels speculation.
For the time being, Cale Makar’s health status remains in a quantum state. He will and won’t play on Wednesday night. Fans won’t know for sure until game time.
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Golden Knights Will Also Miss Key Player
As for the Golden Knights, they’ll be missing a key player of their own. Vegas will likely be without captain Mark Stone to start the series. Stone has not played since leaving Game 3 against the Anaheim Ducks.
Like Cale Makar, Stone is a crucial piece for Vegas. Without him, the Golden Knights lose a gritty, versatile playmaker in their top six. He’s the heart-and-soul leader of the club, while also playing a pivotal defensive role.
Losing Stone could seriously impact Vegas’ chances of stopping the Avalanche’s big forwards like Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas.
But Vegas has proven this postseason that they can find ways of winning. Of course, the on-ice action would be much better with Mark Stone and Cale Makar in the lineup. So, they will both hopefully be ready to go.
Cale Makar Could Miss Game 1 vs Vegas, Teammate Suggests