Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Game 2: Cale Makar

The Colorado Avalanche come off their first home loss of the Stanley Cup playoffs and find themselves trailing in a series for the first time, too, as they welcome the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final tonight. The puck drops at 8 ET, and the big question is the status of Avs superstar defenseman Cale Makar -- one of the ten best players in the NHL.

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Avalanche vs. Golden Knights same-game parlay (-105)

- Colorado Money Line - Alt Under 7.5

If there is a better all-around blueliner in the league than the 27-year-old Makar, I don't know who it is. He's the reigning Norris Trophy winner and a finalist for this season's award. It was no secret that the Canadian was banged up coming out of Round 2, but there was no indication that he would miss Game 1 against Vegas on Wednesday considering the Avalanche had nearly a week off prior. Makar hadn't been practicing but had been skating. He didn't play in a surprise.

They never specify what sort of injury a player is dealing with in the NHL, but Makar is being called day-to-day. He has five points (four goals, one assist) and 18 blocked shots in nine games these playoffs while averaging 24:59 in ice time, second on the Avalanche. Makar is a huge part of Colorado's special teams. He was clearly missed in the 4-2 upset loss Wednesday as the Avs looked utterly flat, falling behind 3-0 before showing a little fight late in the third.

"He's an important player, right?" Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "He plays a lot. Some of the areas that we struggled with, those are his strengths, right? Yeah it affects (everything). He's out there a lot with the top [Nathan] MacKinnon line. There's definitely a trickle-down effect to that."

MacKinnon, not coincidentally, failed to score for the first time in seven games but did have an assist. He's still the +215 Conn Smythe Trophy favorite. Devon Toews filled Makar's spot on Colorado's top power-play unit, while Toews and Josh Manson were the top duo on the penalty kill without Makar.

Since relocating to Colorado in 1995-96, the Avalanche are 24-6 all-time in Game 2 at home. That .800 winning percentage in the scenario over that span is second-best in the NHL behind Toronto (.813).

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Vegas won't be feeling sorry for Colorado as the Golden Knights were again without forward and captain Mark Stone due to a lower-body injury. He last played in Game 3 of the second round against the Ducks and is day-to-day. Stone is the franchise's all-time postseason leader in goals (39) and points (79).

Perhaps we shouldn't have been surprised Vegas pulled off the upset as it was the team's eighth series-opening victory in their past nine tries. The Knights snapped Colorado's four-game Game 1 winning streak and improved to 5-2 on the road in these playoffs.

Carter Hart was the well-deserved No. 1 star, stopping 36 of 38 shots with one big save coming late when the Avalanche had a two-man advantage with their goalie pulled. Hart has now allowed two goals or fewer in eight of his 13 playoff appearances yet remains a +5000 longshot for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Brett Howden had what proved to be the game-winning goal early in the third, his third game-winner in these playoffs. That has tied a franchise record. Howden now has a six-game road playoff goals streak, the sixth player in league history with a run that long. The record is seven by Brian Propp in 1989 with the Flyers . He is +300 to score tonight.

Howden is second in these playoffs with nine goals after just 12 during the regular season. Teammate Pavel Dorofeyev scored his playoff-leading 10th Wednesday and has a four-game goals streak regardless of location. He became the fifth player in franchise history with a double-digit total in a playoff year. The other four all did it in 2023 when the Knights won their only Cup.

The Avalanche had been -260 on the series line and the Knights were +210, but those prices are now -120 and +100, respectively. Game 1 winners own a series record of 10-2 in the 2026 playoffs, but I still like Colorado -- just in seven now. Teams with a 2-0 series lead in these playoffs own a series record of 5-0. The Golden Knights own an all-time series record of 10-3 when taking a 1-0 lead and are 5-8 in Game 2 in that scenario.

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I am in a bit of a hockey slump of late because so many road teams have been winning and that's never good for me. Obviously it would be nice to know whether Makar will play, but I think the Avalanche pull it out regardless because they can't go to Las Vegas down 2-0. The Avalanche went 18-6-3 following a loss during the regular season. The only team with a better points percentage following a loss was Carolina.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/golden-knights-vs-avalanche-game-2-picks-cale-makars-injury-status-looms-large-for-colorado-on-friday/)._