Jared Bednar sparks panic with alarming Cale Makar update before Game 3

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David St-Jean
May 24, 2026  (3:55 PM)

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Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Jared Bednar isn't tipping his hand on Cale Makar. The Colorado Avalanche head coach won't confirm whether his Norris winner suits up for Game 3 in Vegas Sunday night.

"We'll have to wait and see," Bednar told reporters this afternoon, per Mark Lazerus. He also refused to name a starting goalie. Cryptic, by design.

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The Avs are in trouble. Down 0-2 in the series after dropping both home games to the Golden Knights, 4-2 and 3-1. The road just got steeper.

Makar is listed day-to-day with an undisclosed issue. He's played 9 playoff games out of a possible 11, which tells you all you need to know about his availability the last two nights.

The numbers behind him scream what's missing. Makar carried a 20-goal, 79-point regular season into the playoffs, plus a +32 rating and 25 power play assists. Without him, the Avs blue line is a coupe missing two wheels.

Nathan MacKinnon has been a one-man wrecking crew through 11 playoff games. 7 goals, 14 points, plus-5. But Saturday's 1-3 loss at home showed the ceiling when the supporting cast goes quiet.

The Avs lit up Minnesota for 9 goals in a single playoff game earlier this spring. That offense doesn't hum the same way when the puck-mover on the back end is in street clothes.

Mackenzie Blackwood owns a .903 save percentage on the season and just a .872 in 3 playoff appearances. Not great. Scott Wedgewood sits at .912 through 10 playoff games with a regular-season .921 behind him.

That's a real choice. And Bednar isn't sharing it 24 hours before puck drop. The bench boss has every right to play this close to the vest with the season hanging by a thread.

Drew Livingstone of The Athletic floated the obvious question this morning. Can MacKinnon and friends steal one in Vegas without their best defender?

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The Avs went 29-7-5 on the road in the regular season. They know how to win in hostile buildings. Doing it down a star, down two games, with a goalie controversy brewing, is another matter entirely.

Devon Toews has tried to absorb the workload, posting 9 points across 11 playoff games. Josh Manson has been steady but quiet offensively. Neither can replace what Makar brings on entries and the power play.

A 121-point juggernaut, the league's top regular-season team, now staring at a 0-3 hole if Sunday goes wrong. The Avalanche either find another gear in Vegas or start booking tee times.

Previously

New detail reveal Stan Bowman is preparing a blockbuster trade

Dangerous hit on Lane Hutson forces Gary Bettman decision before Game 3

New details reveal Ryan Johnson is preparing a blockbuster trade

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1 HOUR AGO   |   86 ANSWERS Jared Bednar sparks panic with alarming Cale Makar update before Game 3 Should Jared Bednar start Mackenzie Blackwood in Game 3?

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