Injured Burakovsky not flying with Avs to Tampa

DENVER — Colorado’s Andre Burakovsky is not going to journey with the group to Tampa on Sunday after struggling an harm within the Avalanche’s 7-0 drubbing of the Lightning in Sport 2 of the Stanley Cup Ultimate on Saturday.

Coach Jared Bednar mentioned Burakovsky continues to be being evaluated and would be a part of the Avalanche in Tampa on Monday. His availability for Sport 3 stays unknown.

Burakovsky left Saturday’s tilt early within the second interval after taking a Victor Hedman shot off the hand. It is the second harm Burakovsky has suffered within the postseason, after he was compelled to overlook two video games within the Western Convention ultimate towards Edmonton with a leg harm. Burakovsky mentioned final week he’d solely lately felt near recovered from that difficulty, however he nonetheless was taking common upkeep days from practices and morning skates.

The Avalanche are already enjoying short-handed of their top-six as Nazem Kadri stays out following thumb surgical procedure. He final performed in Sport 3 of the convention finals and resumed skating with a stick final week. Bednar mentioned Sunday that Kadri will journey with the group to Tampa however continues to be thought-about day-to-day.

“We’re hopeful we’ll see him in some unspecified time in the future,” Bednar mentioned. “Undecided about Sport 3 or Sport 4 [though].”

Burakovsky has showcased his greatest hockey of the playoffs since changing Kadri on the Avalanche’s second line. The massive winger scored Colorado’s additional time winner in Sport 1 and made probably the most of restricted enjoying time in Sport 2, notching a key help on Valeri Nichushkin’s power-play purpose and scoring one other himself. Burakovsky now has three objectives and eight factors in 12 postseason video games.

Bednar juggled his strains once more with out Burakovsky in Sport 2, elevating Artturi Lehkonen to the second unit with Mikko Rantanen and J.T. Compher.

Colorado will wait and see if Burakovsky is ready to play in Monday’s Sport 3. The Avalanche did get Andrew Cogliano (finger) again on Saturday to shore up their ahead depth. If Burakovsky is unavailable, it is doubtless Nicolas Aube-Kubel would draw again into the lineup, after being a wholesome scratch in Sport 2.