Morning Skate Diary
Nathan MacKinnon good to go against Ducks, and Landeskog is a father again
Nathan MacKinnon was, indeed, on the ice this morning – something we told you last night was highly likely to happen. Two days after taking that dirty hit from San Jose’s Joachim Blichfeld, MacKinnon was out there in a regular sweater, looking none the worse for wear. He will play tonight against the Anaheim Ducks at Ball Arena (7:08 p.m. puck drop).
Gabe Landeskog was not on the ice this morning, but not because of injury. He and his wife, Melissa, welcomed their second child (It’s a boy) into the world last night, so he was given the morning off to be with them. But he will be in the lineup tonight.
No Bo Byram out there this morning. He still is classified as out day-to-day. Was he hurt in that fight the other night in Arizona? Could be, but we don’t know for sure. The good news on him: He was on the ice skating on his own before practice and Jared Bednar said he’s considered day-to-day.
Cale Makar wasn’t out there either, but as I also reported last night, he is expected to return to the lineup next week sometime. Bednar classified him as day-to-day.
So, this is the lineup for the Avs tonight:
Landeskog-Nathan MacKinnon-Rantanen
Saad-Kadri-Burakovsky
Nichushkin-Compher-Donskoi
Jost-Bellemare-O’Connor
D
Graves-Girard
Toews-MacDonald
Renouf-Timmins
Grubauer in goal.
The Avs are heavy favorites to win tonight, at -250, on the moneyline at SuperBook Colorado. They are +110 to win on the puck line (win by two goals or more).
Kiefer Sherwood was on the ice this morning, but unless there is some last-minute change, I guess he’s just a spare forward for right now. The Ducks have lost two in a row and are in last place in the Honda West Division. John Gibson, a very good goalie, is likely to start for Anaheim.
Projected Avs, Blues lines and D pairs for Game 2
Why Gaming Can Help Hockey Players Better Manage Stress
Five Signs of Hockey Genius in the NHL
Ryan O’Reilly Avalanche Career Remains an Enigma (+)
Frei: Manson-Girard pairing has a big night
Avalanche to face St. Louis Blues in Round 2
AVS WRAP: A look back at sweep of Preds, a look ahead to Round 2
Scouts, NHL exec weigh in on Avalanche and chances against Blues (+)
Avs will get rest before next series, but will it induce rust?
AD – your impressions on Dan Renouf? I know it’s not a large sample size but he’s looked good so far. I like his height and strength. Loved the way he stood up a player at the blue line and knocked him back on his keister. And what’s with E.J.? It has to be a real serious injury for him to be out this long.
Haven’t noticed him much but that’s not always a bad thing
Concussion for EJ I believe
Curious if EJ is considering retirement due to his on-going history with serious injuries?
Ian Cole sure would be nice right about now
Yes, he would surely add some toughness and experience but it was a necessary move to get Byram some significant playing time. You can’t predict injuries and it also gives the Avs a look at the other defensemen in the pipeline.
wow, with MacKinnon out tonight, I was wondering how old our old friend Patrick Bordeleau is .. (he’s only 34). I checked on Bordy, but he is not doing well, (see Wiki). Poor guy, he sure enforced well for the Avalanche for years. I hope his life gets better soon. He was a decent hockey player and a threat on the ice