The moment Cale Makar stepped onto the ice for optional practice Thursday, every eye inside Family Sports Center shifted in his direction.
After missing Colorado’s Game 1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, Makar joined teammates for the skate, offering at least a glimpse of hope for an Avalanche team suddenly searching for answers without its most important defenseman.
Advertisement
Whether that translates into a return for Game 2 remains unclear.
“No, I don’t have an update,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Thursday. “We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
Colorado trails the series 1-0 heading into Friday night at Ball Arena, and Makar’s status continues to loom over everything surrounding the Avalanche.
The star defenseman is dealing with an upper-body injury believed to have originated during Colorado’s second-round series victory over the Minnesota Wild. While the Avalanche have remained guarded about specifics, his absence in Game 1 was impossible to ignore.
Without Makar controlling transitions, breaking pressure, and quarterbacking the attack from the blue line, Colorado struggled to consistently dictate pace against Vegas. The burden quickly shifted onto the rest of the defensive corps, including Sam Malinski, who logged more than 20 minutes in Wednesday’s defeat.
Advertisement
“You obviously can’t replace Cale,” Malinski said. “But we all know we have to step up and play a little more. So, I don’t think we really need to change the style of play. I don’t need to change the way I play.”
That’s the balancing act now facing the Avalanche — trying to survive long enough for their franchise defenseman to return while resisting the urge to become a different team without him.
Because when Makar is out, everything feels a little tighter.
Breakouts take longer. Odd-man rushes become harder to generate. The confidence that usually flows through Colorado’s game starts to fade in small moments that add up over sixty minutes.
Advertisement
If Makar remains unavailable Friday, Colorado is expected to once again lean on either Nick Blankenburg or Jack Ahcan to fill the final spot on the blue line.
Still, there’s no disguising what Makar means to this team.
Few players in hockey influence every layer of the game the way the former Norris Trophy winner does. His skating stretches defensive coverage, his puck movement fuels Colorado’s speed through the neutral zone, and his ability to erase mistakes often allows the Avalanche to play aggressively without fear.
When he is missing, the margin for error shrinks instantly.
And after dropping Game 1 at home, Colorado cannot afford many more mistakes.
Image
