Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar and Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will miss Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on Friday in Denver.
Makar, who also missed Colorado’s 4-2 loss in Game 1 of the series on Wednesday, is nursing an upper-body injury. He was on the ice for an optional skate on Friday morning and took reps with the first power-play unit.
Stone, in turn, will miss his fifth straight game due to a lower-body injury.
Colorado’s Jack Ahcan recorded a minus-1 rating in 7:34 of ice time in the series opener. Fellow defenseman Nick Blankenberg was a healthy scratch in that game, however coach Jared Bednar did not divulge which defenseman would play on Friday.
The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche swept the Los Angeles Kings to begin the playoffs, then dispatched the Minnesota Wild in five games. Makar appeared in all nine games and ranks tied for second on the team in the postseason with four goals to go with one assist while averaging almost 25 minutes of ice time.
However, Makar departed Games 1 and 5 of the Minnesota series following big collisions, only to return both times.
Makar, 27, won the Norris Trophy given to the league’s best defenseman in 2021-22 and 2024-25, and he is nominated again this season.
He won the Conn Smythe Trophy when the Avalanche captured the Stanley Cup four years ago.
Makar has 507 points (136 goals, 371 assists) in 470 career games over seven seasons with the Avalanche. He tallied 20 goals and 59 assists in 75 games during the 2025-26 regular season.
Stone sustained a lower-body injury late in the first period of the Knights’ 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 3 of the second-round series on May 8.
Stone has recorded seven points (three goals, four assists) in nine games during the playoffs.
Stone, 34, matched career highs with 73 points (28 goals, 45 assists) and a plus-26 rating in 60 games this season.
Over 766 NHL games with the Ottawa Senators (2012-19) and Golden Knights, Stone has 707 points (259 goals, 448 assists) and a plus-167 rating.
