Avalanche no – Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said Monday he has no update on Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin, both treated for lower-body injuries, as the Avalanche head into must-win Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The mood in Colorado isn’t just about the series score. It’s about who might be able to skate when Game 4 arrives.
Heading into Tuesday’s must-win matchup, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters on Monday that he had no update on Nathan MacKinnon or Valeri Nichushkin. Both forwards are receiving treatment for lower-body injuries.
MacKinnon was hurt during Sunday’s Game 3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He blocked a shot with his right knee during the second period, hobbling afterward and raising immediate concern for a player who has carried this team through the season and into the playoffs.
Nichushkin’s situation looked different on the ice. He did not play for most of the third period in the Game 3 defeat, and Bednar said he did not have updates for any other players after the loss.
Bednar’s frustration was clear, and it was personal in the way he framed the challenge. “You lose Nate and Val … so you’re running a shorter bench. and you’re just doing the best you can to try and create a chance to win the hockey game. ” he said after Game 3. “I don’t know, how do you navigate it?. You just put your head down (and) keep working. You got three different lines or two different lines. and spot shift in your 10th guy to try and give some guys a break; not ideal circumstances. for sure.”.
The timing is especially difficult because Colorado’s injury worries have piled up at the same moment the series pressure has surged. Star defenseman Cale Makar returned for his series debut in Game 3 after dealing with what seemed to be a shoulder injury.
MacKinnon, 30, enters this Game 4 uncertainty with a résumé that makes his absence feel heavier. He won the Rocket Richard Trophy this season with 53 goals in 80 games and led the Avalanche to the Presidents’ Trophy. In the playoffs, he has seven goals and eight assists in 12 games.
Game 4 between the Avalanche and Golden Knights is set for Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, with Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ carrying the action. Vegas leads the series 3-0. and Colorado will be watching treatment updates closely—waiting to see if the two forwards can change the team’s options in a game where the margin for error is gone.
Colorado Avalanche Vegas Golden Knights Nathan MacKinnon injury Valeri Nichushkin injury Jared Bednar Cale Makar return Game 4 NHL playoffs
So they’re just saying “no update” like that’s helpful? If MacKinnon can’t go, GG.
Bednar sounds stressed but it’s Vegas up 3-0… either way the Avs are cooked. Also wasn’t Nichushkin like already banged up earlier this season? Feels like déjà vu.
MacKinnon blocked a shot and then his knee is the problem, right? That’s wild because knee stuff always turns into season-ending drama. If he’s out they should just play 2 lines the whole time because the 10th guy stuff sounds like coach talk.
Wait so Cale Makar came back but they don’t know anything on Nate or Val? That seems backwards. Like if Makar can skate they should have updates quicker. Vegas is gonna win Game 4 anyway, sorry Colorado fans, but “must-win” when it’s already 3-0 feels like wishful thinking.