The NHL is facing a growing crisis with COVID-19 and there’s nothing that illustrates it more than Thursday’s Avalanche-Predators game.
The Avs, who were already without five players due to injury, had two players enter protocol right before puck drop, JT Compher and Devon Toews.
The team was then posed an interesting question by the NHL.
.@Avalanche injury update:
B. BYRAM (UPI)
G. LANDESKOG (LBI)
J. MACDONALD (UBI)
R. MURRAY (LBI)
S. MATTEAU (LBI)
D. TOEWS (COVID PROTOCOL)
A. BURAKOVSKY (COVID PROTOCOL)
J. COMPHER (COVID PROTOCOL)
D. KUEMPER (COVID PROTOCOL)
C. MAKAR (COVID PROTOCOL)Ouch. #GoAvsGo
— Rachel Richlinski (@RachRichlinski) December 17, 2021
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the league gave the Avalanche the option to postpone the game. Instead, the players voted to go on even though they’d be down two players against the Predators.
Makar and Kuemper added to protocol close to game-time…joining Burakovsky, Compher and Toews. According to several sources, the Avalanche were given the option of not playing tonight, but voted to do so. https://t.co/IQmMWIli7d
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 17, 2021
The Avalanche dressed 16 skaters total: 11 forwards and 5 defensemen.
Even worse, Dustin Smith, an emergency goaltender, served as the team’s backup. Pavel Francouz got the start. He hadn’t played an NHL game in more than a year.
On the ice already. #GoAvsGo https://t.co/TuBRuMRcg0 pic.twitter.com/Jprih4Qk3U
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 17, 2021
“We don’t have a lot of bodies in our lineup right now,” defenseman Justin Barron admitted during the first intermission. “We talked about it, before the game, everyone in that locker room wanted to play. Everyone in that locker room has all the faith in the world in each other to win this game. That’s been our mindset.”
Barron’s first intermission interview: ✅#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/wQAXNEdG5L
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 17, 2021
They did not. Despite a valiant effort, the Avalanche fell to the Predators 5-2. Avs defenseman Samuel Girard was on the ice for more than half the game (31:46).
Seven Nashville Predators players, five Preds coaches, and four Colorado Avalanche players in total were in protocol at puck drop.
Remember, it could always be worse… pic.twitter.com/0ItKd0Tb7d
— Rachel Richlinski (@RachRichlinski) December 17, 2021
Across the NHL, 60 players have entered COVID-19 protocol over the last four days with no end in sight.
Sixty (60) #NHL players have entered the league's COVID-19 protocols in the last four days.
It was 58 when I started writing this Tweet, then Burakovsky & Compher got added. pic.twitter.com/gf2lz3V7wL
— Melissa Burgess (@_MelissaBurgess) December 16, 2021
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