The Colorado Avalanche will face the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series on Monday without two key players: defenseman Sam Malinski and forward Artturi Lehkonen, both sidelined due to upper-body injuries, as announced by the team.
Malinski, who had a standout season with 40 points in 82 games and led all NHL defensemen with a plus-43 rating, has been a vital part of Colorado’s second defensive pair alongside Brett Kulak during the playoffs, averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game. The Minnesota native also opened the series scoring in Game 1. Lehkonen, an elite forechecker and top-six forward, posted 48 points in 70 regular-season games and added six points in seven playoff contests.
In positive news, defenseman Josh Manson returns to the lineup after being injured in Game 3 of the Los Angeles series. He will pair with Jack Ahcan, who spent most of the season in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles and will make his playoff debut. Brent Burns moves up to play alongside Kulak, forming the second pair. Nick Blankenburg, who averaged just 9:26 of ice time while replacing Manson, will be scratched.
Forward Joel Kiviranta replaces Lehkonen in the lineup. Kiviranta played the first two games of Colorado’s first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings before being replaced by Ross Colton. Despite suffering an undisclosed injury, coach Jared Bednar confirmed Monday morning that Kiviranta would be available for Game 4.
As expected, goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood led the Avalanche onto the ice for warmups and will start.
Updated lines without Lehkonen and Malinski:
Landeskog–MacKinnon–Nečas
Colton–Nelson–Roy
Nichushkin–Kadri–O’Connor
Kelly–Drury–Kiviranta
Defense:
Toews–Makar
Kulak–Burns
Ahcan–Manson
Goalies:
Blackwood
Wedgewood
This marks the biggest test of Colorado’s depth so far in the playoffs.