Resting Cale Makar another few days probably makes the most sense

As the Avs announced today, Cale Makar won’t play tonight. Despite being with the team in Las Vegas and despite being cleared for contact, the Avs want to wait until Friday’s home game with the Minnesota Wild before playing him again. When/if that happens, he will have been out for 20 days since that hit from Boston Brad Marchand.

We’ve all really missed watching him play, haven’t we? I think we all know now what a talent he is, and what he means to this team. The fact is, the Avs have been just 3-3-1 without him, and they’ll have another tough road game tonight in Vegas.

It’s not a big surprise the Avs took the cautionary route with Makar on this. Another few days of rest should have him 100 percent healed up, it would seem.

The Avs aren’t going to want to go into the Christmas break with a three-game losing streak, so I expect a full effort against the Golden Knights. But make no mistake: this will be a tough game to win. There should be a big, festive holiday crowd on hand, and the Golden Knights are going to want some payback for that 6-1 shellacking the Avs gave them the last time they were at T-Mobile Arena.

Pavel Francouz will get the start, the team said. If he win another game, and looks good doing it, we may be edging closer to that goaltending “controversy” after all.