Avalanche goalie Darcy Kuemper will not play in Game 4 of Colorado's first-round playoff series on Monday, due to swelling around his right eye, head coach Jared Bednar announced.
Kuemper suffered the injury in Game 3 on Saturday in Nashville, when the stick of Predators forward Ryan Johansen penetrated his mask.
Pavel Francouz, who replaced Kuemper on Game 3, will start instead. He'll be backed up in goal by Justus Annunen, who was recalled from the team's AHL club.
The injury occurred with less than a minute remaining in the first period of Game 3 when Johansen was engaged in a net-from battle with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. The blade of Johansen's stick went through the space in or near the cat’s eye of Kuemper’s mask and into the goalie’s eye area. Kuemper went down immediately, ripping off his mask in obvious distress. Medical staff tended to him right away before quickly helping him off the ice.
Johansen later said he was sick to his stomach at the thought of potentially having injured Kuemper.
The Avalanche lead the series 3-0 and could complete a sweep with another win on Monday night (9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT, Sportsnet ONE).
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