Avalanche await word on Mikko Rantanen's health

It’s a good thing the Avalanche are likely done playing in Dallas for the season. Last time they were there, Ben Bishop collided with Gabe Landeskog and ended Landeskog’s regular season. Last night, Mikko Rantanen took a hard hit along the benches and left the ice and did not return to the game. Following the game, head coach Jared Bednar predictably was without an update on Rantanen’s status yet as he simply needed more testing to be done.

Fast forward to today’s optional practice at Family Sports Center, which the majority of the Avalanche did not participate in. Among those not on the ice was Rantanen, who was seen walking around the rink in street clothes while those who chose to practice were doing work.

Following the on-ice session, Bednar met with the assembled media and provided very little in the way of an update on his star forward’s health, saying Rantanen would be re-evaluted this afternoon and his status was questionable for tomorrow afternoon.

While Bednar conceded it was a good thing they have not definitively ruled Rantanen out, it’s certainly not a good thing he has to go for additional testing and has not been cleared to play. Regardless of his he ends up playing or not, it’s obvious something legitimately wrong happened on the hard hit last night and he is feeling it.

Moving on from Rantanen, I caught up with one Avs player in the locker room and we talked briefly about goaltender scouting reports. He mentioned the report on Ben Bishop was a bit different than other goaltenders and that the usual weakness of high glove was absent. In its place was a weakness on the mid-blocker for Bishop, which I found interesting. Go back and watch where both Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie scored their goals last night and keep that scouting report in mind.

Looking ahead, I caught up with Ryan Graves for a minute as he was one of the small handful of players to take part in the on-ice session. With the Avs having a home-and-home against the Chicago Blackhawks this weekend and being four points up on them, Colorado has a chance to essentially eliminate one of their competitors from playoff contention.

“It’s all about us,” Graves said. “I didn’t even know we could do that to them. That would be nice but our focus is solely on us. We get those wins and what does that do for us? That’s what we’re looking at and focusing on.”

This past week was just the launching off point they were looking for, especially given the competition.

“Playing those teams, the ones in front of us was huge,” Graves told BSN Denver. “To have those guys on the schedule and be the teams we’re fighting for spots with was good luck for us. We took advantage but we have to put it behind us and continue to get the job done. There’s a lot of work left.”

While it’s tough to get a read on a locker room when only six players are in it, there was still an obvious level of excitement from those present about being back in the playoff race after being left for dead a week ago.

“It feels a lot better, that’s for sure,” Graves said. “To be in the race, this is what it’s all about at this time of year. All you want as a player is for these games to matter. This time of year is all about winning, getting into the playoffs, and seeing what happens from there.”

While Graves has been relegated to seventh defensemen duty the last few games, he continues to be a positive overall influence on the group. He has been a revelation for the Avalanche this year and is one of many guys making a case not just for playing time on this roster but for a future roster spot as well.