|
Girard ready to play vs Sharks |
|
|
Rick Sadowski
 Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • RSS
• Archive
• CONTACT
|
|
|
The Avalanche have some decisions to make now that defenseman Samuel Girard has recovered from his upper-body injury and will play Friday in San Jose in the opening game of the teams’ second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
Girard’s return gives Colorado seven healthy defensemen. Will coach Jared Bednar use all seven and dress 11 forwards or scratch one and go with the usual 6-12 lineup?
“There’s been lots of thought, but that will be determined later,” Bednar said Thursday. “I’m not going to give (the media) our lineup before I give our players our lineup. Tough decisions, but they’re good decisions to make this time of year because it’s all about team and winning.”
Girard missed the final three games of the Avalanche's first-round series with Calgary, as did forward Derick Brassard, who has recovered from an illness and is available.
“The staff did a great job, so I’m ready to go for the next game,” Girard said. “It’s tough (not playing), I’m not going to lie, you always want to play, it’s so nice being in the playoffs. When you’re watching the games, you want to be on the ice and help the team to win. I’m very happy to be back tomorrow.”
Girard was playing the left side with Erik Johnson on the top pair when he was injured. Ian Cole replaced him, but Bednar wouldn’t reveal his plans for Friday.
All times MT
Fri, April 26, 8 p.m. – at San Jose
Sun, April 28, 5:30 p.m. – at San Jose
Tue, April 30, 8 p.m. – at Pepsi Center
Thur, May 2, 8 p.m. -- at Pepsi Center
* Sat, May 4, TBD -- at San Jose
* Mon, May 6, TBD – at Pepsi Center
* Wed, May 8, TBD – at San Jose
*If necessary
Girard, 20, had 27 points (four goals, 23 assists) in 82 games this season, his second in the NHL. He had a goal and three assists in three games against the Sharks.
“He’s been a force all season for us, he’s taken it step by step and grown as a player and as a person off the ice too,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “It’s not easy to break into the league that young, but he’s taken it in stride and he’s figuring out how to be successful on the ice. Sometimes it’s a spin-o-rama; he’s gotten really good at picking his spots.”
The Avalanche worked on special teams Thursday, and Girard and rookie Cale Makar manned the points on the second power-play unit. Makar had a goal and an assist in three games against Calgary after leaving the University of Massachusetts to sign his entry-level contract.
“Not really an audition, just trying to keep guys involved in the practice,” Bednar said. “We know what we’re going to do on that unit and we have some good options. Whether you’re a new guy coming in like Makar or a guy like Girard who’s been with us all year, the guys that have been here all year built some trust and have done a nice job, but if we feel someone can come in and help us in certain areas, then that’s what we’re going to do, forward or defense.”
*****
Nathan MacKinnon is eager to start playing again after waiting a week following the Avalanche's 5-1 series-clinching win in Calgary last Friday.
“We've been practicing really hard and had good rest as well,” he said. “It's a good mix. We feel good, everyone's very motivated. We're excited for this huge challenge.”
As for the Sharks: “They're a great team,” MacKinnon said. “They've had a lot of playoff success over the years. They've always been in the mix. It's going to be a tough challenge for us.”
This will be MacKinnon’s first second-round series in his six NHL seasons, the Avalanche’s first since 2008.
“It feels great,” he said. “Six years, so it's about time, I guess. Good feeling. It feels like we're more than make the playoffs (and) get bounced in the first round. We don't want to be that team. We want to go far. We feel like we have a chance to win it all. I'm sure everyone does that in the playoffs right now. We have a lot of work to do.”
Join the Discussion:
»