Cale Makar watched from the ice during an optional Colorado Avalanche practice on Thursday after missing Game 1 of the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights with an injury suffered versus the Minnesota Wild. The Golden Knights won Game 1, 4
The Vegas Golden Knights didn’t just take Game 1 of the Western Conference Final on Wednesday evening—they did it with the Colorado Avalanche leaning on a blue line missing its cornerstone.
At Ball Arena in Denver, the Golden Knights defeated the Avalanche 4-2. The damage was more than the scoreboard for Colorado. though. because star defenseman Cale Makar—again nominated for the Norris Trophy this season—was unavailable due to an injury he suffered during the Western Conference Semifinal against the Minnesota Wild.
The loss of Makar left a glaring gap. He plays in all situations, matches up against the opposition’s top players, and then adds offense at key moments through his hockey IQ and speed. With him out of the lineup, the Avalanche’s defensive identity had to change in his absence.
Still, there are signs of hope for Makar’s return. Makar was seen on the ice at the club’s practice facility during an optional skate on Thursday.
That sight offered the clearest sign yet that the injury timeline may be moving in Colorado’s favor ahead of what comes next.
Logan O’Connor put it plainly when talking about the challenge of replacing Makar. “Best defenseman in the world. He’s not going to be easily replaced,” O’Connor said. He added that there isn’t “one guy that’s going to be able to do it. ” and pointed toward a group approach—more minute-munchers handling “heavy. hard minutes. ” with the expectation that the team would have to “execute a bit of a different game plan.”.
O’Connor also described what that means on the ice: being “that much tighter defensively,” not getting “ahead of ourselves offensively,” and staying patient inside the flow of the game.
Game 2 between the Avalanche and Golden Knights is set for Friday evening.
For Colorado. the question coming out of Wednesday’s 4-2 loss is straightforward: if Makar is closer than expected. the dynamic of the entire series can shift quickly. If he’s not. the Avalanche will lean even harder on the committee approach their teammates already spoke about—trying to stay organized long enough to create opportunities against a team that took control early.
MISRYOUM Sports News NHL Colorado Avalanche Vegas Golden Knights Cale Makar Logan O'Connor Western Conference Final Game 1 Game 2 Norris Trophy
So he’s hurt but skating… so like is he gonna play or nah?
Optional practice means nothing to me. Coaches say that every time. If Vegas won 4-2 without him then maybe they don’t even need him lol
I thought Makar was the whole reason Colorado was good, but they’re talking like it’s “group minutes”? That feels like a cop out. Also the article says “tighter defensively” like that fixes everything 😂
Wait the injury was from Minnesota but now he’s skating in Denver… so he’s basically healed already? Or did they just put him on the ice to scare Vegas? Either way, if he’s out for Game 2 that’s gonna be brutal because he’s always on the power play, right? I don’t even follow hockey like that I just know his name.