Colorado Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin will miss the entire first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets due to a lower-body injury.
Jonathan Drouin exited the Avalanche's season finale against the Edmonton Oilers after a fall into the boards.
The 29-year-old Jonathan Drouin enjoyed a resurgent season playing alongside teammate Nathan MacKinnon, scoring 19 goals along with a career-high 56 points in 79 games.
In Jonathan Drouin's absence, Artturi Lehkonen is likely to be placed on the top line, while Joel Kiviranta is to re-center.
The Colorado Avalanche are coming off a dominant 5-1 victory over Edmonton in their last regular-season game.
Colorado Avalanche vs Winnipeg Jets: Playoff Schedule
Game 1: April 21, Sunday 5:00 p.m. ET Canada Life Centre
Game 2: April 23, Tuesday 7:30 p.m. ET Canada Life Centre
Game 3: April 26, Friday 8:00 p.m. ET, Ball Arena
Game 4: April 28, Sunday 12:30 p.m. ET Ball Arena
Game 5: April 30, Tuesday, Canada Life Centre (if necessary)
Game 6: May 2, Thursday: Ball Arena (if necessary)
Game 7: May 4, Saturday, Canada Life Centre (if necessary)
Colorado Avalanche vs Winnipeg Jets
This will be the first-ever playoff meeting between the Colorado Avalanche and the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets are making their sixth playoff appearance in seven seasons. Last year, they lost in the first round to the eventual Stanley Cup champion, the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Avalanche have made the playoffs seven consecutive seasons and are the Stanley Cup winners, having won it all in 2022. However, they were defeated in the first round last year by the Seattle Kraken.
Going into the playoffs, the Jets closed out the regular season strong by winning their final eight games, including a 7-0 rout over the Avalanche on April 13. The Avs, meanwhile, struggled down the stretch, going 4-5-2 in their last 11 games. Their offence remains potent, though, leading the NHL with 3.68 goals per game.
"This is why you play and grind for 82 games, right? You look forward to it. I can’t say that it’s not a stressful time for a coach. But it’s the best part of the game. Getting to the Stanley Cup playoffs and being able to participate in that," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said.
“We know it’s going to be a grind. Every team in the West is deep and strong. We’re facing a really good team in Winnipeg. It’s going to be a great challenge." Bednar said to the Denver Gazette.
The game can be seen on ESPN2 and ALT and also heard on CFRW TSN Radio 1290 and KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM.