Cale Makar Return Will Have to Wait

ST. LOUIS – Disappointing news out of Avalanche headquarters today: Cale Makar won’t make the two-game road trip, starting with tomorrow’s game here in St. Louis. Injuries suck. I hate injuries. All my life – and all of your life too – injuries have robbed of us enjoying great players’ talents.

No crying in hockey, no sympathy in hockey but…we as Avalanche watchers have had too many goddamn injuries in our 25 years together. The Avs just seemingly have always been a team that gets more than its share. We have to hope Makar will return by next weekend now, at the earliest.

Shoulder injuries are no joke. I hope there’s no setback for No. 8. Erik Johnson tried to play through a shoulder injury much of last season, then had to have surgery over the summer. He wasn’t the same player last year because of the injury. Who’s to say Makar won’t have some lingering thing too?

I’m probably worrying too much here, and maybe making some of you do that now too. I don’t think this injury will keep Makar out more than another week, but do I know that for a fact? No.

Anton Lindholm was recalled by the Avs for this two-game trip. We’ll see if he actually plays or not though. It’s possible he might slot in for Mark Barberio though. I know Jared Bednar was not happy with how his defense as a whole played the last game, and he may want to give Lindholm a game just because.

I got to stand at the door of Abraham Lincoln’s home that he lived in from 1844-1861, today. I flew to Chicago, then drove to St. Louis (my roundtrip airfare from Denver-Chicago was $68, and the rental car price was pretty good too, so I decided to do it this way) and stopped in Springfield, Illinois.

It’s funny, there was absolutely nobody around in Honest Abe’s old neighborhood, which is now run by the U.S. Parks Service. I actually tried to open the front door to the house, which was locked. Then, a Park Ranger hustled over and said “Can I help you?”

I did the old “Who, me?” routine. He was nice about it. He said I could arrange for a guided tour of the house before they closed for the day, but it was getting close to that hour and I still had about 90 more miles to drive to St. Louis, so I regretfully declined. He said there was snow coming to the area, and he wasn’t kidding. I had to drive in, essentially, a blizzard, the rest of the way.

Here are the pics I took of Lincoln’s crib:

THANK YOU to the United Airlines gate agent who, when I asked if there was anything besides the middle seat in row 26 on my 6 a.m. flight to Chicago available, gave me the aisle seat in the exit row.

My No. 1 travel tip, after 25 years of constant travel: Always, ALWAYS, be polite and respectful to the airline gate agent. They have the power to either make your flight a relaxing, spacious experience or a cramped hellhole. The choice they make often comes down to the manner in which you ask.

The following four people – THANK YOU for donating to the Avs Travel Tip Jar: Michael Miller, Edward Smith, Curt Werner and Martha Ladam. That money has already paid for my $44 per night accommodations here at the Motel 6 in Memorial Heights.

And if you think I’m unhappy about being in a Motel 6, you’re dead wrong. I am laying right now on a nice, firm bed, watching a flat screen TV with bountiful channel options and free WiFi.

I’ve stayed in a ton of fancy hotels, and they are OVERRATED.

Thank you again.

See you at the skate tomorrow.