The Colorado Avalanche are hoping to avoid going down 3-1 in their series to the Dallas Stars. But they have received extremely unfortunate news before Game 4 on Monday. Colorado is without forward Valeri Nichushkin after his shocking six-month suspension. And they are now also without veteran defenseman Devon Toews, as well.
Toews skated this morning but will miss Monday night's contest, according to Colorado Hockey Now's Evan Rawal. Caleb Jones is dressing in his place and will play against the Stars. Rawal notes that the Avalanche say their veteran rearguard will miss this game due to an illness.
Toews is a highly trusted member of the Avalanche. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he ranks second on the team in time on ice per game. The only player who plays more per game is his defensive partner, Cale Makar. To this point, Toews has played eight playoff games while scoring one goal and six points.
Devon Toews is a big piece of Avalanche defense
Devon Toews began his career with the New York Islanders during the 2018-19 season. In his second season, his ice time jumped to over 20 minutes a night from just 17 minutes. “Tazer” was traded by the Islanders in the 2020 offseason to Colorado for two second-round draft selections.
The Abbotsford native took on an even larger role as soon as he joined the Avalanche. His ice time jumped to over 24 minutes a night for Colorado. And he rewarded them by scoring 31 points during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. In 2021-22, he truly broke out, scoring 13 goals and 57 points. He now has three consecutive 50+ point seasons under his belt. His performances helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Toews is more than an offensive threat. He is one of the team's best defensive players, as well. In fact, he ranked third on the Avalanche this season with nearly 2 defensive goals above replacement. Historically, “Tazer” has a track record of being a solid defensive contributor. This year was his first season with fewer than 3.5 defensive goals above replacement.
Toews is certainly a major part of the Avalanche. If this illness keeps him out long-term, it could have a huge impact on Colorado's blueline. With the team trailing the Stars in their series, it goes without saying that this is a less-than-ideal scenario for the 2022 Stanley Cup champions.
Colorado trails Stars entering Game 4
Devon Toews and the Avalanche bounced back from a brutal opening game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They lost to the Winnipeg Jets in Game 1 but didn't lose after that. The Avalanche defeated the Jets in five games to advance to the second round. There, they met the Stars, who defeated the Vegas Golden Knights.
In Game 1, Dallas raced out to a 3-0 first-period lead. But Colorado didn't give up in the slightest. They came all the way back to force overtime. And in overtime, they won thanks to an unlikely source. Forward Miles Wood scored on a breakaway to give his team the early series advantage.
However, the Avalanche fell behind Dallas soon after. The Stars got off to a 4-0 lead this time around but held firm. Dallas won to split the first two games in Texas. In Game 3, Dallas and Colorado played a rather close contest for the most part. But, in the end, the Stars pulled away in the third period.
The Avalanche need to pull it together in Game 4. Failing to do so would put them in a dire situation. They would need to win two games on the road to keep their season alive. Let's see how Colorado performs on Monday with their lineup missing some key pieces.
