Avalanche without Makar for Game 1; Stone skates for Golden Knights ahead of West Final opener

DENVER (KTNV) — The Colorado Avalanche will be without one of the best defensemen in hockey to open the Western Conference Final.

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar confirmed Wednesday that Cale Makar will miss Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights with an upper-body injury. The two-time Norris Trophy winner is considered day-to-day, and Colorado expects him to return at some point during the series.

Makar played through multiple injuries during Colorado’s second-round series against Minnesota, but did not practice leading into Game 1 against Vegas. His absence leaves a major hole on the Avalanche blue line for the opener at Ball Arena.

The 27-year-old won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during Colorado’s Stanley Cup run in 2022 and remains one of the league’s most dynamic players on both ends of the ice.

Colorado enters the series 8-1 this postseason and has already had 17 different players score a goal during its playoff run. Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with 13 points in nine playoff games.

For Vegas, there was at least some positive news surrounding captain Mark Stone. Stone returned to the ice Wednesday morning at Ball Arena, skating with the scratches for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury during the second round against Anaheim.

The Golden Knights still have not confirmed whether Stone will be available for Game 1. Coach John Tortorella declined to provide an update earlier this week, and the organization has remained cautious publicly regarding Stone’s status.

Vegas closed out Anaheim without its captain, winning the final three games of the series after Stone exited in Game 3. The Golden Knights have leaned on their depth throughout the postseason, including a recent scoring surge from Pavel Dorofeyev and strong play from goaltender Carter Hart.

The matchup marks the first playoff meeting between Colorado and Vegas since 2021, when the Golden Knights rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to eliminate the Avalanche in six games. Colorado has since won a Stanley Cup in 2022, while Vegas captured its first title in 2023.

Game 1 between the Golden Knights and Avalanche is set for 5 p.m. Wednesday at Ball Arena. 13 Sports Reporter Taylor Rocha is in Denver covering Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Final.