Adrian Dater
The Avs had an optional practice today, and not many players were out there. There was good news on the injury front, however:
Confirming a Colorado Hockey Now report from earlier in the day, coach Jared Bednar said Alex Newhook (lower body) should be good to go for Game 1 of the second round of the postseason, against either Vegas or Minnesota. Also, P.E. Bellemare, who took a shot off a leg in Game 4 against St. Louis and missed some time, is expected back as well.
Only six or seven players, most of them who haven’t played in the playoffs, took to the ice at Ball Arena. On Wednesday, however, the practice is mandatory for all healthy players.
Bednar said he is gathering notes on both the Golden Knights and Wild, and said he expects the series to start some day this weekend in Denver.
Bednar was asked if there is any aspect to his team’s game he wants to see improvement from in the second round, and he said “all of them.”
I don’t think Bednar was too happy with how the Avs did indeed get themselves into trouble with turnovers and general puck management at times against the Blues. I mean, it may seem like nitpicking for a team that swept the first round, but Bednar is a real stickler for puck management, and support of the puck. There were some pretty shaky moments in the series, including much of the second periods in Games 1-3.
I know he’d like to see the power play move the puck a bit quicker too, not trying to be so fine. Cale Makar did a Zoom appearance today, too, and called his play in the first round “pretty average.”
I would say he’s definitely being Humble Cale there, that he was better than that (one goal, three points in the four games). Yet, there were times when maybe he was guilty of trying to be a bit too picky with his shot selections/puck movement.
Makar also waved off comparisons to Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey in terms of point production so far in his career and playoffs.
“It’s so early in my career and every time I see (those stats) I just kind of laugh,” Makar said.
Makar said he’s been trying to grow a beard, but mostly he’s just got peach fuzz for now.
“Hopefully, as we continue, maybe I’ll have a little bit of a mustache coming in,” he said.