Colorado heads into tonight’s action sitting one point clear of idle Minnesota in the battle for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, and could expand its cushion to three points with a win.
Won’t be easy, though.
The Avs will be without two of their three leading scorers tonight in Calgary -- Matt Duchene is out with a knee issue, while Gabriel Landeskog is serving the last of a three-game suspension.
It goes without saying that the losses are huge. Duchene is enjoying a really good year, and leads the team with 29 goals and 56 points. Landeskog, the club’s captain, is fourth in assists (29) and third in points (46).
With Duchene out, Carl Soderberg could see an increased workload at center, and it’s likely that Nathan MacKinnon will pick up some middle man duties as well.
With Duchene out, Coach Roy says Avs will go with 11F & 7D and Chris Bigras will be back in the lineup tonight here in Calgary.
— Marc Moser TV (@RadioMoser) March 18, 2016
Landeskog is eligible to return Sunday in Edmonton. If Duchene’s injury extends into next week, he could be in danger of missing Colorado’s massive game against the Wild on Saturday, Mar. 26.