The Colorado Avalanche head into Game 3 of their Western Conference Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights in an 0-2 hole on Sunday night. The crucial showdown comes within the backdrop of the Cale Makar injury saga.
The latest injury update on the Avalanche’s Norris Trophy-winning defenseman has revolved around it being Makar’s decision to return to the lineup whenever he feels ready for it. So, that's that. Bednar has stated that Makar is dealing with an injury and trying hard to get back into the lineup. We shall see.
That uncertainty will hang like a cloud over the entire club as they look to get back into the series. Following Game 2 last Friday night, Jared Bednar pretty much conceded the fact that the Golden Knights’ top players have outperformed Colorado’s stars.
That said, the expected shakeup is doubtful at this point. Bednar’s recalcitrance to mix up his forward lines for Game 2 played a role in the Avalanche’s downfall.
While there’s a chance that Bednar could make changes on Sunday night, that’s not something we’re betting on. The likeliest approach will be rolling the game forward lines back and then making in-game adjustments.
The pressure will be on Martin Necas and Brock Nelson to get on the scoreboard. Nelson and Necas have just one goal apiece and have fueled speculation about their performance. While both have played well in different roles, pundits have questioned their lack of scoring.
It seems the only certitude at this point is Scott Wedgewood getting the call in the crease. Wedgewood has played well enough to win. Unfortunately, the lack of run support, especially on Friday night, has made it tough for Wedgewood to win.
Considering the trajectory of this series, it might take Wedgewood stealing the game for the Avs to get off the skids.
The Avalanche and Golden Knights will hit the ice at 6 pm MST at T-Mobile Arena. A win by Vegas would put the Avs in a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 hole.
Even as it stands, history is not on Colorado’s side. The last time a team came back from a 0-2 hole after dropping the first two games of a conference final at home was 1945. The Detroit Red Wings fell behind to the Boston Bruins before winning three straight. Detroit eventually took the series in seven games.
At least there’s one historical precedent, even though it came about 80 years ago. So, let’s hope that Colorado makes NHL history this spring.
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