Darcy Kuemper Status Muddy For Game 2 (+)

There was not much to go on when it came to the health status of Darcy Kuemper on Wednesday. The Colorado Avalanche goalie is a question mark as Thursday’s Game 2 with the Edmonton Oilers beckons.

Jared Bednar said “we’ll see” when asked if Kuemper might be available, one day after leaving Game 1 with an upper-body injury. Is there a re-injury to his right eye? A concussion? Both? We don’t know.

I believe there is some worry about a possible concussion. He did take a couple of hard shots off the facemask in Game 1. He missed some time earlier in the season with concussion symptoms, starting in Toronto after taking a shot off the mask in the morning skate.

Nobody ever really knows what’s going on with concussion stuff, other than the player, so mostly everything is just speculation right now. But I do believe the uncertainty from Bednar, at least publicly, has to do with the fact that it might be a concussion. Or, it might not. Or, there could be some irritation to the previously injured eye.

I’ll stop trying to be a doctor here, and just wait for what happens tomorrow too.

If Kuemper isn’t healthy enough to suit up, Pavel Francouz would start the game and Justus Annunen would be the backup. Annunen’s Colorado Eagles team was eliminated from the postseason the other night against the Stockton Heat.

The other unanswered question at the moment: Even if Kuemper were healthy enough to play, should he? His save percentage right now is .897. Of course, Francouz’s isn’t anything to brag about right now either (.889). The Avs, in fact, have the poorest combined goaltending numbers of any team remaining in the playoffs right now.