Michael Hage: Makar misses first two Western Conference Final games
michael hage, Cale Makar has not played a shift in the first two games of the Western Conference Final, leaving the Colorado Avalanche down 2-0 after two nights in Las Vegas. Jared Bednar said Saturday that Makar is dealing with an injury and will decide when he is ready to return.
Bednar added that Colorado expects Makar back at some point. Game 3 was scheduled for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT), with the Avalanche trying to avoid falling deeper into a series they have treated as Stanley Cup-or-bust.
Bednar on Makar’s injury
Bednar said, “He's dealing with an injury, obviously, and he's been in the gym strengthening and testing it on the ice.” He also said, “Cale is the only person that knows when he's good enough to play, that's why it's his decision.”
That leaves the Avalanche waiting on the player they view as their most important piece in the series. Makar had not taken a single shift through the first two games, and Colorado’s task now is to play through a short playoff series without the defenseman who can change the pace of a game from the back end.
Colorado’s power play in Las Vegas
Friday’s game gave Colorado a chance early in the third period to build on a 1-0 lead against Vegas, but the power play failed to capitalize. The opening two games ended with Colorado on the wrong side of a 2-0 series deficit, and the missed chance became part of the pressure surrounding Makar’s absence.
Vegas has been described as massive, structured, and ruthless in the trenches, which has made Colorado’s margin thinner with every shift. Without Makar on the ice, the Avalanche have had less room for error at the points where the series has already turned.
Game 3 in Colorado’s series
Bednar said, “No one can go into Cale's body and feel what he's feeling,” and added, “we know that we're going to expect him back at some point.” That keeps the focus on Makar’s own read on his injury rather than a fixed timetable from the bench.
For Colorado, the immediate next step is Game 3 in the Western Conference Final on Sunday night. If Makar is ready, the Avalanche gain their top defenseman back in a series they already trail; if he is not, Colorado has to keep surviving without him and hope the decision shifts before the deficit grows beyond recovery.
