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The Colorado Avalanche may have gotten by the Minnesota Wild in dramatic fashion in Game 1, but it sure would be nice for them to have leading scorer Matt Duchene back. That probably won’t happen in the first round series according to head coach Patrick Roy.
Patrick Roy says Matt Duchene unlikely to play in Wild series, even if it goes seven games #Avs
— Adrian Dater (@adater) April 19, 2014
Duchene has been out since suffering a knee injury on March 29. The initial prognosis was that Duchene would miss roughly four weeks, which would have suggested Duchene could return if this series went the distance. Game 7, if necessary, is set for April 30.
With Roy all but ruling Duchene out for the rest of the series, one has to wonder when he will be able to make his comeback should the Avalanche advance.
There’s no question the Avs are a better team with him in the lineup. Duchene averaged nearly a point-per-game with a career best 47 assists and 70 points in 71 games this season. His speed makes him a player that is incredibly difficult to contain, which probably would have gone a long way against a defensive-minded team like the Wild.
