Here we go again.
The Colorado Avalanche have one of the league’s most talented rosters top to bottom. It’s a shame that roster is so rarely able to play together because injuries have once again besieged the club.
Jared Bednar, in hopes of avoiding talking about them again the rest of this week, updated the media at today’s morning skate ahead of their contest against the Minnesota Wild.
All players currently out due to injury ended up being listed as “week-to-week”, most notably Nathan MacKinnon, who mysteriously vanished after the second period against the Wild two nights ago.
For those keeping track at home, that comprehensive list of week-to-week players is:
- Nathan MacKinnon (LBI)
- Devon Toews (LBI)
- Pavel Francouz (LBI)
- Matt Calvert (UBI)
- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (LBI)
- Erik Johnson (UBI)
The Avs take on the Wild tonight in the third game of their four-game series. Philipp Grubauer returns to the net, where he has quietly been spectacular this season.
Without MacKinnon, Bednar decided to do the least amount of shuffling possible and moving centers around. Sheldon Dries enters the lineup with MacKinnon out.
Landeskog-Compher-Rantanen
Saad-Kadri-Burakovsky
Nichushkin-Jost-Donskoi
O’Connor-Dries-Sherwood
Byram-Makar
Girard-Timmins
Graves-MacDonald
Grubauer
0 Comments (4 conversations)
Hockeyhead
It does make me a little crazy that they don’t give Bowers an opportunity. You would think that this would be the time to see what he is capable of. Hopefully Dries plays well and has a short leash if he does not. The problem is we have all seen this before.
gtq
If Compher can’t put up any points the next week or so playing with Mikko and Gabe they need to think about sitting him. He has been every opportunity imaginable this year to contribute.
ColoradoFanOxford
I asked AJ above if it’s possible if Compherer plays like he has so far if Jost isn’t given a shot playing with them. Their is certainly more talent in Jost than JT…or at least more potential.
ColoradoFanOxford
Please tell me Dries has a short leash. He has failed to show he is a true NHL player repeatedly. I know they are thin, but maybe it is time to see what Bowers brings.
Im not sure I would have moved Jost to 3rd line, given how well 4th played. I would have considered just treating the two lines as interchageable and split the ice time.
AJ, how long a leash does Compher get at 1C? Is there any chance Jost gets a chance there? While he doesn’t have the scoring, given his underlying numbers and the fact he does seem to generate play for others, I wonder if playing with Landry and Moose might bring out something extra from him. Or maybe Bednar just keeps tinkering until something works or 29 is back?
Cerveau
With the intensity everybody is playing at, plus the injuries, it seems like the playoffs have started already – for all the teams!
We pulled through last year… we will this year as well.