Dater: Hello, Adversity

Landeskog absence will hurt

We were all living in kind of a “Can you believe this?” bubble for a while there, weren’t we?

Close to a perfect record. Blowout victories most every night. Happy hugs on the ice with players, hugs and high-fives among fans in the stands. And, one of the most happily surprising things of all: no major injuries.

Fun while it lasted, right? Hockey is a cruel mistress, though, and now the Amazin’ Avs are being hit with injuries. The captain, Gabe Landeskog, out “for some weeks” with an upper-body injury, according to Jared Bednar. Olympic defenseman Devon Toews out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury. Starting goalie MacKenzie Blackwood has missed time of late and won’t play tonight against Tampa Bay.