The Colorado Avalanche were given the option to not play Thursday’s game against the Nashville Predators, following the additions of Darcy Kuemper and Cale Makar to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol just prior to puck drop, but voted to play as scheduled, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has learned.
Kuemper and Makar entering the league’s protocols brought the total number of Avalanche players placed in them to five. Andre Burakovsky and J.T. Compher were added on Thursday as well. Devon Toews, who was placed in COVID-19 protocol Tuesday, rounds out the Avalanche players currently on the list.
With their absences, the Avalanche were forced to play the Predators with just 11 forwards, five defencemen and one NHL-level goalie.
Pavel Francouz started in goal for the Avalanche with Dustin Smith serving as emergency backup goaltender.
The Predators have been grappling with COVID-19, too. The team was missing an extensive list of players and personnel for Thursday’s game: Ryan Johansen , Mikael Granlund, Matt Luff, Michael McCarron, Philip Tomasino, Ben Harpur, Nick Cousins, John Hynes (head coach), Dan Lambert (assistant coach), Todd Richards (assistant coach), Ben Vanderklok (goaltending coach) and Dan Hinote (assistant coach).
Makar is among the game’s most dynamic defencemen, scoring 13 goals and adding 13 assists in 23 games so far this year.
Kuemper holds a 13-5-0 record plus a 2.77 goals-against average and .907 save percentage this season.
Burakovsky has 12 goals and nine assists in 25 games this season while Compher has scored six goals and five assists in 15 games.
The Avalanche are third in the Central Division with a 17-7-2 record and have won five consecutive games.
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