Avalanche Rule Out Darcy Kuemper Ahead of Game 4; Pavel Francouz Will Start
If the Colorado Avalanche are to sweep the Nashville Predators on Monday, they’ll be forced to do so without goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who’s been deemed unavailable.
During Monday’s media availability, coach Jared Bednar confirmed that Kuemper is progressing but isn’t fully recovered from the eye injury that he sustained in Game 3. As a result, Pavel Francouz will step into a starting role, with Justus Annunen serving as his back-up.
Kuemper, 32, caught Predators forward Ryan Johansen’s stick through his mask during the dying seconds of the first period last game. He was forced to leave the ice and didn’t return.
Thankfully, the Avalanche would go on to enjoy a 7-3 victory, securing a third straight win over the Predators. With it, they control a 3-0 series advantage.
Afterwards, Colorado’s medical staff determined Kuemper had avoided any serious injury and was only experiencing some swelling around his eye.
One day later, the team was hopeful its starting netminder would be cleared to play in Game 4 versus the Predators. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case.
During the regular season, Kuemper – who was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes during the off-season – made 57 starts and registered a 37-12-4 record. He also recorded a 2.54 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and five shutouts.
In the playoffs, the veteran goaltender has made 57 saves on 61 shots against, earning him a .934 save percentage through three playoff starts in 2022.
The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native is playing on the final season of his two-year, $9.0-million contract that carries a $4.5 million cap hit. He’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Without Kuemper, the onus now shifts to Francouz, who made six playoff appearances in 2020. While inside the NHL’s postseason bubble, the 31-year-old earned a 2-4-0 record, a 3.23 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage.
Despite his poor playoff history, Francouz posted a respectable performance as Kuemper’s back-up this season. In total, he logged 21 games, registering a 15-5-1 record, a 2.55 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and a pair of shutouts.
For his career, the former undrafted free agent has played 57 career games and produced a 36-14-5 record. He also owns a 2.46 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and three shutouts.
This season, Colorado finished with a 56-19-7 record and 119 points, positioning them as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Nashville, on the other hand, just barely held on to the final wild-card seed with a 45-30-7 record and 97 points.
In the end, these two franchises finished separated in the standings by 11 wins and 22 points.
The Avalanche will attempt to complete the sweep over the Predators on Monday at Bridgestone Arena, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET. If successful, they’ll face the winner of the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues series.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: All Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.