Avalanche gameday: Still no sign of Mikko Rantanen

DALLAS — It appears that Mikko Rantanen, initially listed as “week-to-week” with the injury to his left leg, could miss an whole month since the Avalanche proceeds to wade through significant losses to its own forward corps.

Rantanen, a 2019 NHL All-Star who will make a team-high $12 million salary this season, is starting his third week on reserve but his recovery has to incorporate the most significant part — skating. He’s not here in Dallas with the Avs and he isn’t skating back into the Denver area, coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday after a morning skate in the American Airlines Center.

“He’s week-to-week,” Bednar said of Rantanen, who had 12 points (five goals) in his first nine games. “He’s continuing on his rehab right now and trying to get fit enough to play. He’s not prepared to join the group. ”

The Avs will also face the Dallas Stars on Tuesday without veteran forwards Gabe Landeskog along with Colin Wilson, either outside with lower-body accidents. Landeskog, plus a 2019 All-Star, is out indefinitely.

Colorado, that began the season in an eight-game points streak (7-0-1), is 1-3-1 with no Rantanen and 0-2-1 with no Rantanen and Landeskog — generally the two wingers on Nathan MacKinnon‘s line.

MacKinnon will center the top line Tuesday with left wing Matt Nieto — generally a bottom-six forward — along with Joonas Donskoi.

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The Avs, who are on a 0-3-1 skid, have scored just one goal.

“We will need to produce a spark, mix up some traces,” second-line center Nazem Kadri said Tuesday. “We’ve run into a couple goaltenders so that plays a role. A lot of teams deal with (injuries) — maybe not the type of magnitude as (Rantanen and Landeskog) — but everybody deals with accidents one way or the other. It’s s crucial for the men who are currently enjoying answer the telephone and to step up and take advantage of the opportunity they are given. ”

The Avs took Sunday off in Arizona after dropping to the Coyotes 3-0. They practiced in Arizona on Monday before flying to Dallas.

The Stars are about a streak, which contains a success at Colorado on Friday. Forward Roope Hintz, who scored both goals for Dallas because game, is doubtful Tuesday with a injury.

Jared Bednar after morning skate in Dallas #Avs //t.co/E4xlv03pBU

— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) November 5, 2019

Avalanche lineup in Dallas

Forward: 

Nieto-MacKinnon-Donskoi

Jost-Kadri-Compher

Burakovsky-Bellemare-Calvert

Nichushkin-Kamenev-Megna

Defense:

Girard-Johnson

Cole-Makar

Zadorov-Graves

Goaltending:

Grubauer, Francouz

Scratched: D Mark Barberio


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