Friday Faceoff: With the Avalanche advancing to the Western Conference final, can injury to Cale Makar derail their championship run?

Mark Kiszla, sports columnist

Answer: Yes

Can Cale Makar hoist the Stanley Cup with one arm tied behind his back?

There are only two things that can stop this Colorado bandwagon from rolling to the NHL championship:

No. 1: A major injury to Makar or Nathan MacKinnon.

No. 2: Coach Jared Bednar fooling around with his starting goalie rotation to the point of distraction of everyone, especially Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood.

Well, let’s leave the goalie debate for another day. But here’s a hint: Don’t overthink it. It’s Wedgie’s net. Period.

Let me admit to having some Chicken Little tendencies when it comes to the subject of what appears to be a lingering injury to Makar. The sky isn’t falling. But I also watched recent championship runs by the Broncos and Nuggets get derailed by critical injuries to Bo Nix and Aaron Gordon.

The Avalanche are not only the deepest, most talented team in the NHL playoff field, but perhaps the best team in franchise history.

The Avs have already scored goals from more players than I can count in these playoffs. Colorado can overcome injury to anybody, with two exceptions. While MacKinnon is going to be the playoff MVP if he doesn’t get hurt, the real concern is Makar, nursing his health by not skating alongside teammates at morning practices on game day.

One reason the best team so often fails to win the NHL championship? Fair or not, the brutal playoff grind instead often rewards the squad that stays healthiest. 

For the Avs to win it all, Makar doesn’t have to be at his Bobby Orr best. But if injury forces him to sit out the majority of a series, rather than one game, Colorado loses its unstoppable juggernaut status.

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Chris Schmaedeke, digital sports editor

Answer: No

The Avalanche have learned to win without their top players at various times for much of the season, so an injury to Makar won’t bury a title run.

They won the last two games without Artturi Lehkonen, one of the most clutch players on the team. Same for Sam Malinski, who has become such an important part of the defensive core Colorado had no problem trading Sam Girard.

History is on Colorado’s side in missing a key player in the playoffs, as the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2001 without Peter Forsberg.

I agree with Mr. Kiszla that any extended absence for the best defenseman in the league would make things rough on the Avs. But if this injury was so serious, why was Makar back on the ice during Colorado’s 4-3 overtime win?

We know how much NHL tough guys play through injury in the playoffs. But wouldn’t the Avs have sat Makar the rest of the game, knowing they had two more chances to close out this series if they dropped Wednesday’s game?

Coach Jared Bednar didn’t seem concerned after the game. Not that he would have said either way.

And while injuries derailed the title hopes of the Nuggets, the Avs are different. The Avalanche are tougher than the Nuggets. Look how Josh Manson responded to being called out publicly. He didn’t cower as the Nuggets did to Jaden McDaniels.

Colorado is the deepest team in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and we have seen how valuable that is against Minnesota. If Makar is to miss time, the Avalanche will adjust and continue to roll like the well-oiled machine they’ve shown to be.