Tuesday night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks took an extra twist for the Colorado Avalanche, who return to Ball Arena to deal with a rash of roster illness and the potential return of one of their star players.
Captain Gabe Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Parker Kelly were all sidelined due to illness on Monday and therefore missed practice. MacKinnon, in particular, has been dealing with symptoms since Saturday, but still took the ice — under obvious physical duress — during Colorado’s 7-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Remarkably, he produced a three-point performance despite feeling unwell, a feat that underlines the extraordinary caliber of his talent. In today’s NHL, where the pace and physical demands are higher than ever, recording even a single point during an illness is impressive; doing it three times borders on the exceptional.
The Avalanche can only hope that MacKinnon recovers enough to be able to wear the uniform on Tuesday, because his influence on this team is simply indispensable. He currently leads the NHL in goals (20) and points (44), while his 24 assists place him second only to Connor McDavid’s 25. MacKinnon’s blistering pace has put him firmly in contention for hockey’s rare “Triple Crown,” awarded to the player who finishes the season atop the league in goals, assists and points. This feat has not been accomplished since 1996, when Mario Lemieux achieved it for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the year before his first retirement.
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After a relatively modest start to the season, which included an unusual streak of four disallowed goals, Landeskog fully returned to form during his first sustained period of consistent play in three years. Over his last nine games, he has four goals and four assists, reaffirming his status as the emotional backbone of the Avalanche. His absence, if he could not play, would be felt as much on the bench as on the ice.
Parker Kelly, meanwhile, was a welcome revelation. Her energy, upbeat temperament and unexpected aptitude for depth of sound, coupled with her well-known fondness for Taylor Swift’s Fate of Ophelia, infused the lineup with a refreshing sense of vitality.
Yet the outlook is not entirely discouraging. There’s one obvious source of optimism: Valeri Nichushkin took off his red non-contact sweater and participated fully in practice. According to head coach Jared Bednar, there is a chance he returns to the lineup Tuesday night.
“He’s a possibility for tomorrow if he succeeds today, OK,” Bednar said.
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In a simple assessment, Nichushkin has looked solid in his return to full training, although there have been times where he has looked slightly stiff. There may be some understandable hesitation about immediately returning him to a full workload, but it’s clear he’s on the verge of returning to a true action game, which is an encouraging development for the Avalanche.
Nichushkin, 30, had five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 17 games before suffering a lower-body injury Nov. 6 during the Avalanche’s 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The injury occurred early in the third period after he blocked a shot, and he has since missed the last eight games.
As for the rest of the injury report, Logan O’Connor remains sidelined with an undisclosed issue that is unrelated to the hip surgery he underwent for the second time during the offseason. Gavin Brindley, meanwhile, skated for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury against the New York Rangers on November 20. Known for his speed and explosive acceleration, Brindley was understandably far from his usual form during the session, indicating he is likely a long way from returning to action.
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The NHL-leading Avalanche (18-1-6) will look for a second straight victory Tuesday night when they face Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks (10-13-3), who enter the losers’ list of their last two games. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.
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