Aarif Deen
There’s a first time for everything. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar did not finish Saturday’s game against the Golden Knights after a deflected puck caught him in the side of the head early in the third period.
Bednar was helped down the tunnel by a team trainer. Following the game, the team provided an update on his status, stating that Bednar is alert and conscious, but is heading to a local hospital for further evaluation and a CT scan.
Without him available, assistant coach Dave Hakstol called lines, as he and Nolan Pratt continued to run the bench. Pratt spoke postgame in Bednar’s place.
Donate to the Colorado Hockey Now Playoff Travel Fund via PAYPAL BY CLICKING HERE or VENMO BY CLICKING HERE to help our beat writer provide coverage from road games as the Avalanche pursue another Stanley Cup championship
10 Takeaways
1. The team also lost Josh Manson to an upper-body injury. After the game, Pratt said the team will know more about his status on Sunday.
2. When Bednar was asked about resting players after the win against Calgary, he had hinted at the last three games being the time for that. So yes, nobody rested in this game against the Golden Knights, but this is also probably the last time we’ll see that before the postseason begins. The Avalanche are heading out on a quick back-to-back two-game road trip in Alberta. I imagine they’re going to leave some guys at home, albeit Pratt said that is yet to be determined.
3. If they do that, they’ll have to call up some guys from the AHL to fill out the lineup. Perhaps Ivan Ivan and Gavin Brindley get the first looks up front. On defense, I’m sure we’ll see Jack Ahcan, but I also wouldn’t be opposed to giving someone else a look.
4. I thought the T.J. Hughes news was a tidy bit of business from the Avalanche front office. The top teams in the NHL don’t always land the best college free agents because they don’t always present the best opportunity for ice time. The fact that Hughes, who reportedly had the entire league trying to get him, chose Colorado says a lot about the organization.
5. It’s very reminiscent of when they landed Ben Meyers late in the 2021-22 season. Meyers was a top college UFA at the time and chose the Avs. Meyers stepped in right away and played games down the stretch while some of the starters sat out.
The difference with Hughes is that his contract is only for next season. That means, not only did the Avalanche land the top college UFA, but they did it without needing to give him a two-year deal and allowing him to burn the first year this season. I imagine other teams offered that.
Hughes ultimately chose Avs while also forgoing about a week’s worth of an NHL salary. Again, it says a lot about what he thinks about the organization.
6. Hughes and Brindley were both incoming freshmen in 2022-23 at Michigan. I would imagine the Brindley experience this year, and the opportunities he got, helped Hughes make this decision. The Canadian forward also shares an agent with Sam Malinski, and we all saw how that experience has played out. Malinski was a college UFA in 2023 when Colorado landed him around the same time.
7. I will admit, it would’ve been fun to see Hughes come in and play some of these final games had they given him a two-year deal. I just don’t think there was enough time to make it happen. The earliest he would’ve gotten here was Sunday, and the Avalanche play three in four nights to end the season, which begins with a road trip. Hughes would not have been eligible to play in the postseason
I am intrigued to see how he looks in the AHL with the Eagles for the rest of the year.
8. I enjoyed watching Mackenzie Blackwood lock it down in the third period. The Golden Knights had the majority of the high-danger opportunities and outshot the Avs 11-6 with the game tied 2-2 for the entire 20 minutes. It’s unfortunate he still ended up with the OT loss.
9. Nathan MacKinnon had a great chance late in the third that was stopped. He remains at 52 goals. Montreal’s Cole Caufield now has 51 as he closes in on MacKinnon for the Rocket Richard. Montreal has two games remaining, and Colorado has three. But you have to wonder how many of those games MacKinnon plays.
10. Kudos to Denver University for winning yet another national championship. It’s not Avalanche-related, but it’s still another hockey championship for a local team. And, like 2022, the Avalanche are going to try to win the Stanley Cup in the same year.