Avalanche Battling Through Injury Adversity

When it comes to injuries for the Colorado Avalanche, each day seems to bring a mix of good and bad news.
Today's update is on trend with that, with Matt Calvert being back in the Avs lineup and Nathan MacKinnon on track to return to game action later this week. However, Colorado added another player to the training room as Conor Timmins will miss tonight's contest against the Arizona Coyotes at Ball Arena with an upper-body injury.

Also out for the team is Bowen Byram (upper body), Pavel Francouz (lower body), Dennis Gilbert (upper-body injury and COVID protocol), Erik Johnson (upper body), Cale Makar (upper body) and J.T. Compher (upper body), who missed his first contest of the campaign on Saturday versus the Anaheim Ducks.
"Hopefully they come now, they come early in the season, and you don't have to deal with them at the end of the year," said Calvert of the team's lengthy injury list. "It's a jam-packed schedule, we have 17 games in March, so you know there's going to be bumps and bruises and guy are playing through a lot in that room, even the ones who are in the lineup."
Calvert was a full participant in today's morning skate and will play this evening on a line with center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and right wing Logan O'Connor. He's been out for the past six games with an upper-body injury after being a late scratch following warmup on Feb. 26 at the Coyotes.
"Obviously you want to be in with your teammates every night possible, but it's kind of been next-man-up lately," Calvert said. "We've had a lot of injuries recently and guys are doing great, filling different roles. I'm excited to be back and do what I can to help this team."
After skating on his own on Sunday, MacKinnon took part in today's pregame practice in a red, non-contact jersey. He has missed the past two contests with an upper-body injury after getting hurt from a high hit on Wednesday versus the San Jose Sharks.
Head coach Jared Bednar said the center is doing "great" but won't play this evening due to protocol. However, he could see that MacKinnon is itching to get back into game action and noted the forward could suit up again as early as Wednesday when the Avalanche concludes its two-game series with Arizona.
"Knowing MacK over the last few years , when he gets to this point he's chomping at the bit ready to go," Bednar said. "Probably would love to play tonight, but he's just not able to. He won't get medically cleared to play tonight's game."
For Timmins, it will be the first game that the rookie defenseman has missed this year due to injury. He will be replaced in the lineup by Greg Pateryn, who will be recalled from the American Hockey League's Colorado Eagles later in the day to skate in his fourth contest with the Avalanche.
Colorado's other two young, banged-up defensemen, Bowen Byram and Cale Makar--both out with upper-body injuries--joined MacKinnon in skating on Sunday, but Bednar said there hasn't been a timeline established for either to return. Makar has missed the Avs' last five games, while Byram has been out for the past four outings.

LINEUP NOTES

Right wing Mikko Rantanen was moved to the center position during the Avalanche's previous contest on Saturday versus the Anaheim Ducks, and he will start tonight's contest in that spot. He will lead a line with Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog, who will likely take the majority of the faceoffs.
Colorado's other forward lines will be Nazem Kadri centering a trio with Andre Burakovsky and Brandon Saad, Tyson Jost at left wing with Jayson Megna at center and Joonas Donskoi on the right side, and Calvert returning to the lineup on a combo with Bellemare and O'Connor.
Goaltender Philipp Grubauer is expected to start in net.
View: Avalanche Projected Lineup vs. Coyotes

NOTEWORTHY

Tonight is the third of eight meetings between the Avalanche and Coyotes and the first of four at Ball Arena. The Avs swept a back-to-back set in Arizona on Feb. 26-27.
Colorado is 4-1-1 in its last six games. The Avalanche is 7-1-0 following a loss this season (including overtime losses). The club is 7-1-2 (.700) in one-goal games this season, fourth best in the league.
The Avs rank third in shots per game (32.7) and are averaging the fewest shots allowed in the league (26.2). They have allowed less than 30 shots (29 or fewer) in 12 straight games, tied for the third-longest such streak in franchise history.
Colorado is 1-0-1 so far on its nine-game homestand, the longest continuous homestay in franchise history.

ONE TIMERS

Head coach Jared Bednar on the team's recent play:"I'm satisfied with it, I'm not happy with it. I think we've had our fair share of adversity, no question. I believe that we haven't played our best here recently… We're findings ways to grind out points now with a significant amount of adversity with the injuries."
Forward Matt Calvert on the team finding ways to pick up points and wins:"Guys are playing hard. We're down two (goals) the last two games and they're fighting back and showing a lot of character. Especially when you lose guys like MacKinnon and Makar and other top players, guys are filling roles. Girard has stepped up. You see Val Nichushkin the last two games. It's great to see, and it's what it is going to take this year."
Defenseman Samuel Girard on reaching 100 career points last contest:"As a player, it's not something that you think about a lot, but it was pretty fun to hit 100. But today is a new day and I got to focus on tonight."