Jared Bednar delivered the tough news after Wednesday’s morning skate, before adding a touch of optimism.
“I think he’s doing a lot better. He’s on the ice again this morning, feeling pretty good. So, I got him as day to day.”
Makar skated alone before the team skate Wednesday, and decided that due to various ailments, he will be forced to miss his first game of these playoffs.
He will be replaced in the lineup by Jack Ahcan, a 29-year-old who made his first two NHL playoff appearances earlier this spring, averaging just over five minutes a night.
Artturi Lehkonen and Sam Malinski will return to the lineup after missing two games, as the coach announced “everyone else,” including Brent Burns and Josh Manson, will also play.
Makar, who is destined to win another Norris Trophy this season, had four goals and an assist in nine playoff games, before leaving Game 5 against Minnesota following a reverse hit by Mats Zuccarello that appeared to injure or aggravate a shoulder injury.
He also briefly left Game 1 after taking a hit along the boards that sent his right leg flying into the air before he hit the ice.
Makar has played through several ailments throughout these playoffs and hasn’t skated between games throughout, up until this morning’s 15-minute twirl.
“He’s the best defenceman in the world, he’s not going to be easily replaced
— there’s not one guy that’s going to be able to do it,” said Logan O’Connor.
“I think the advantage we have with the group we have in the game tonight is a lot of guys being minute munchers for us — Kools (Brett Kulak), Sammy Malinski, Mans (Manson), Taser (Toews) — those guys play heavy, hard minutes for us, and I think just by committee we know we’re gonna have to maybe execute a bit of a different game plan, be that much tighter defensively, and just try not to get ahead of ourselves offensively, and just be patient.”
Mark Stone has yet to skate for the Golden Knights since he suffered a lower-body injury on May 8, and isn’t expected to play tonight. Nor is Jeremy Lauzon.
Coach John Tortorella will hold a noon press availability, but has made it clear he won’t speak of any player’s injury status, meaning both players are deemed “game-time decisions.”
The Avs led the closely contested season series with the Knights 2-0-1… Both teams have seven players on their roster who played in the last playoff series between the two teams, which was a second-round matchup in 2021, won by the Golden Knights. Brandon Saad and Nicolas Roy have since switched sides in the rivalry… With Veas appearing in their fifth Conference final in nine seasons, it’s no surprise they hold the edge in experience with 193 games played in conference finals vs Colorado’s 153 … Colorado has yet to lose in five playoff home dates as part of their 8-0-1 run, and are 31-9-6 at Ball Arena with a +61 goal differential … The two teams’ playoff goals differential, goals against per game and power play efficiency are almost identical … Both teams have recorded comebacks in four of their eight playoff wins … Since 1987, all five teams to win eight of their first nine playoff games went on to win the Cup … The Avs tied an NHL record with 16 different goal scorers in the second round alone… Mitch Marner’s four shorthanded assists have him just one shy of the post season record set by Wayne Gretzky in 1983 … the Golden Knights feature the playoff leaders in goals (Pavel Dorofeyev with 9), assists (Jack Eichel with 14) and points (Mitch Marner with 18) … Brett Howden’s three shorthanded goals so far this year has him tied with eight others for the most in a single playoff. He had three during the regular season … Nathan MacKinnon has scored in six straight games.
Avs Lines
Wednesday’s skate was an optional, but based on skates this week, it appears the lines will be as such:
Landeskog – MacKinnon – Necas
Lehkonen – Nelson – Roy
Colton – Kadri – Nichuskin
Kelly – Drury – O’Connor
Toews – Malinski
Burns – Manson
Kulak – Ahcan
The Golden Knights did not skate Wednesday morning, but their lines are expected to be as follows:
Barbashev – Eichel – Dorofeyev
Howden – Karlsson – Marner
Saad – Hertl – Sissons
Smith – Dowd – Kolesar
McNabb – Theodore
Hanifin – Andersson
Hutton – Coghlan