"I didn't know what happened until I watched it," the goalie said after practice at Ball Arena, the first time he has spoken publicly since the injury in Game 3 of Colorado's first-round sweep of the Nashville Predators. "It happened so quickly. Obviously, pretty scary when your eyes are involved but, you know, I got pretty lucky that it wasn't worse.
"I think just bad luck."
Kuemper hasn't played since May 7, when the injury occurred. Nashville forward Ryan Johansen stuck the blade of his stick inside the eye hole of Kuemper's mask and contacted the right eye.
Kuemper said he has not had a chance to speak with Johansen, but he said he believes it was nothing more than wrong place at the wrong time.
A scary accident, but an accident, nonetheless.
"I mean probably shocked and the unknown," he said of his thoughts in the moments after the incident. "I guess you could call that fear. Just not knowing what happened and what the damage is; that's scary."
He says he is ready to move forward and get ready for the best-of-7 series against the Blues, which begins at Ball Arena. A start date has yet to be announced.
The Blues, the third seed in the Central Division, eliminated the Minnesota Wild in six games to advance. The Avalanche finished first in the Central.
Kuemper has taken part in each of the past two practices and is expected to do so again Monday. He was out early Sunday to do some work with Jusse Parkkila, the goalie coach for the Avalanche.
Kuemper was also a full participant in each practice. Nobody was easing him back into the fray.
"It doesn't do him any good if we are bringing him along slowly if he's out there with us," Colorado defenseman Devon Toewssaid. "He's getting good work in with the goalie coach too. When he's out there, we're happy to have him."
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said he has liked what he has seen from Kuemper since his return and says that it has been the one positive of having some much time off between series. Bednar says he thinks his goalie is approaching the form that saw Kuemper post a 1.63 goals-against average and .934 save percentage in 147:29 of ice time in the first round.
The Avalanche have not played since May 9, when Pavel Francouz made 28 saves in a 5-3 win in Game 4 to finish the sweep of the Predators.
"So that is the one positive for us, [our] goalie will be sharp, ready to go and feel 100 percent," Bednar said
Kuemper agrees he is ready and insists he won't think about the incident, taking it for the misfortune it was.
He says he just wants to play, the sooner the better.
"We're biting at the [bit] to get back playing," Kuemper said. "Playoffs are the [most fun] time of the year to be playing, especially playing in front of the crowd here that was so pumped in the first round that we are really looking forward to getting started again."
