Paul Bissonnette believes the outlook changes quickly for the Colorado Avalanche if Cale Makar is unable to return during their series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Speaking on Spittin’ Chiclets, Bissonnette pointed to Makar’s absence as a possible turning point in the Western Conference Final matchup.
“If there’s no Makar this series they’re done… Vegas has all things clicking and obviously the superstars are being superstars, so I think if there’s no Makar, this series could end in 6 games,” Bissonnette said.
Colorado ruled out Makar earlier Wednesday and listed him as day to day. According to ESPN Makar is dealing with more than one injury with the issue from the Minnesota series appearing to be the one keeping him out.
Late in Game 5 against the Minnesota Wild, Makar left the ice holding his right arm after a collision. He returned later as Colorado won in overtime. He had also briefly gone to the locker room earlier in the series after crashing awkwardly into the boards in Game 1.
The injury leaves some uncertainty around Colorado heading into the series. While the day to day label leaves the door open for Makar to return later on, missing Game 1 was enough to raise concern given his role on the blue line.
Makar entered the series with four goals and one assist in nine playoff games. He also logged 29 shifts in Colorado’s comeback win over Minnesota that sealed the previous round.
Avalanche felt Cale Makar’s absence right away in Game 1
Colorado got an early look at life without Cale Makar in Game 1. Without their top defenseman in the lineup, the Avalanche tried different combinations in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Coach Jared Bednar admitted Makar’s absence changed things across the board.
“There’s definitely a trickle-down effect to that,” Bednar said. “But he’s not playing. We have to find a way.”
Makar’s status for Game 2 remained unclear, though Bednar said before Game 1 that the defenseman was “doing a lot better.” His absence is not an easy one for Colorado to cover.
Cale Makar entered the series with four goals and one assist while averaging nearly 25 minutes per game in the playoffs. He also plays a major role on the Avalanche special teams units.
Before Game 1, forward Logan O’Connor made it clear the team was not expecting one player to fill the gap left by Makar.
“Best defenseman in the world,” O’Connor said. “He’s not going to be easily replaced. There’s not one guy that’s going to be able to do it.”
O’Connor added that Colorado would need a group effort to handle the minutes and responsibilities usually carried by Cale Makar.
Edited by Sonali Verma