Avalanche coach shares Cale Makar injury update before Game 2 vs. Golden Knights

The Colorado Avalanche will remain without star defenseman Cale Makar for Game 2 of the NHL‘s Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.

Coach Jared Bednar confirmed the update during his morning media availability.

When asked directly if Makar would play, Bednar responded, “He’s not.”

Pressed about potential lineup adjustments afterward, Bednar added, “Yeah. I’m not gonna give you any other lineup decisions. I’ll give you eight out. That’s it.”

Makar skated during the morning session and worked with Colorado’s top power-play unit, but the Avalanche ultimately decided against rushing him back. The 27-year-old defenseman has now missed the opening two games of the series after suffering an upper-body injury late in Colorado’s second-round win over the Minnesota Wild.

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The absence already showed in Game 1. Vegas capitalized on defensive breakdowns and won 4-2 in Denver to take a 1-0 series lead. Colorado struggled with defensive pairings throughout the night, and the Golden Knights repeatedly attacked the middle of the ice during transition play.

Avalanche is struggling without Cale Makar

Bednar acknowledged after Game 1 that losing Makar impacts the entire structure of Colorado’s defense corps.

“There’s definitely a trickle-down effect to that,” Bednar said. “But he’s not playing. We have find a way.”

That remains the central issue entering Game 2. Makar is not simply Colorado’s best defenseman. He drives puck movement, controls breakouts, quarterbacks the power play, and stabilizes matchups against elite forwards. Without him, players like Devon Toews are forced into heavier offensive and defensive workloads.

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Vegas immediately exposed those gaps. Coach John Tortorella rolled four lines aggressively and pressured Colorado’s blue line into rushed decisions. The Golden Knights also blocked 23 shots and slowed the Avalanche through the neutral zone, limiting the speed game usually built around Makar and Nathan MacKinnon.

Colorado still has enough talent to respond, especially at home, but the margin changes dramatically without Makar. The Avalanche can survive short stretches without him during the regular season. Against a deep, structured Vegas roster in the conference final, every missing minute becomes magnified.