Avs-Jets Pregame Talk
Also: Makar skates again, and Martin Kaut Takes Parting Shots At Avs
It should be a really good viewing experience, tonight’s Avalanche-Jets contest in ice cold Winnipeg. A 6 p.m. start, with viewing on Altitude locally. If you’re a Comcast subscriber…sorry about that. Or, as they say in Canada: “Sorrey.”
Alexandar Georgiev is expected to start in net, against Jets veteran Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck is having a fine year, a candidate for his second Vezina Trophy. He’s got a .925 save percentage and 2.39 GAA.
Avs are going to have to bring their A Game to the rink to win, and of course they’ll have to do it without Cale Makar, who remains in Denver in concussion protocol. But Makar (and Darren Helm) did skate today, as old friend Brennan Vogt documented.
Three days in a row on the ice for Makar? I think that sounds like real good news. And, the fact that Darren Helm may still come back this season is news I didn’t expect would happen, after the downbeat way in which Jared Bednar spoke of his condition after going down again.
KAUT TAKES PARTING SHOTS AT AVS
Some interesting quotes out of San Jose recently from former Avs winger Martin Kaut. In short, Kaut said he’d been unhappy with the Avs for a while and had asked for trades previously.
Here’s what he told Sharks beat writer Sheng Peng (and other Sharks media) about that: “I played, this year with the Avs, like 30 games or something. Most of the time, I played on the fourth line with two [defensemen] and I played center. I’m a right wing. Played four or five minutes [in a game]. I know Colorado wants to win a Stanley Cup again, so it’s really hard to make the top-three lines. But that’s why I asked for a trade.”
Kaut also played on the top two lines at times. He got his chances with the Avs but didn’t take advantage of them.
Kaut later backtracked a bit, telling San Jose Hockey Now: “I really didn’t say anything bad about Colorado. I came to the AHL when I was 18. I didn’t speak great English. So it was hard, but the goaltender from the Czech [Republic], Pavel Francouz, he helped me a lot in the first year and the head coach [too], Greg Cronin,” he recalled. “He helped me a lot. He [taught] me small details on the ice, like D-zone, grabbing sticks, forecheck. He helped me out and I’m glad. I had a pretty good relationship with the staff and coaches.”
Kaut scored his first goal as a Shark the other night.
See you for the live chat tonight right here.