Avs get good and bad injury news on star defenseman and backup goalie

The Colorado Avalanche are rolling, clinching playoff berth and taking first place in their division on Tuesday.

To boot to the team’s success, very important backup goaltender Pavel Francouz who has only played in one game since January is on the mend. Frankie was the Avs starting goalie for their Western Conference Final series win against the Oilers last summer after Darcy Kuemper went down with an eye injury. Francouz has been suffering from a lower-body injury but is now a full go according to a report ahead of Thursday’s game in San Jose.

But it wasn’t all good news from the Bay Area as star defenseman Cale Makar is set to miss his second-straight game with what Jared Bednar is calling a new lower-body injury and not maintenance.

Some positive news: Pavel Francouz is “basically a full go right now,” per Bednar pic.twitter.com/4yXgw0V8dP

— Kyle Fredrickson (@kylefredrickson) April 6, 2023

Makar won the Norris and Conn Smythe trophies last season and has followed it up with 66 points in 60 games this season, scoring 17 goals in over 26 minutes a night on the ice. Makar missed a few games in January and February with injuries.

Meanwhile, Helm, who was also big in the playoffs last season, has only played in 11 games. The fourth-liner is 36 years old and has not yet added a point to his account this season.

The Avs have six games left in their regular season before the playoffs begin on April 13. Colorado has a game at hand but are tied on points with Dallas and Minnesota in the central, so every game will matter as the Avalanche look to lock up home ice. If they don’t, the Avs’ 25 wins on the road are tied for most in the west and the club went 9-1 away from Ball Arena last year in the playoffs.

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