Avalanche top netminder Darcy Kuemper mysteriously exited Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, making way for backup Pavel Francouz (“Frankie”) to take the ice for the second time this post-season. In a contest that felt more akin to a reenactment of the O.K. Corral than a hockey game, it went under the radar when Kuemper skated to the bench during the second period after allowing three goals on 16 shots and Frankie took up his post. Originally it was thought to be an equipment issue, but when Darcy didn’t return to the bench, it was clear that something else had occurred.
In classic hockey fashion, his injury is categorized as the vague “upper-body,” perhaps he is still dealing with residual complications from the stick to the face he received in Round 1 vs. Nashville. His timeline for return is unclear, and losing our Number 1 goaltender once again felt like a cause for concern. However, after allowing three more goals on 21 shots, Frankie came away with the 8-6 Game 1 victory. Frankie took the series to the next level after the Wild West shoot-out of the first game, saving all 24 shots in Game 2 and recording his second career playoff shutout. Rightly deserving of the “Frank-ie” chants that are still echoing in my ears days later.
Entering Game 3 in Edmonton, McDavid scored in the first thirty seconds of the opening frame, but Francouz remained calm. Even when the Avs showed signs of frustration after failing to capitalize on multiple power-play attempts, Frankie stayed, well, relaxed. The Avs entered the third with a 2-1 lead, and a snipe shot by Oilers’ McLeod (Ryan, not Cody) tied the game at two. The Oilers were poised for attack, but Frankie pushed through the onslaught, and our boy, JT Compher, scored an unbelievable game-winning goal after coming out of the penalty box. Mikko would seal the deal with another empty-net goal, and Frankie got his fifth playoff win this series, making him 5-0 in the post-season, and helped to give the Avs a commanding 3-0 series lead. This begs the question: Should the Avs continue to play Frankie if Kuemper can return? Bednar has made it clear that Darcy is our Number 1, so I would suspect that he gives him the start once he can, but in the meantime, Frankie is our man, and I’m not upset about it.
Despite the Avs being one game away from advancing to the Finals, Saturday night’s game was soured by a hit on Nazem Kadri by Evander Kane just 34 seconds into Kadri’s first shift. Kadri attempted to get the puck in the Oilers' zone when Kane came from behind and shoved him into the boards. Kadri immediately fell and grabbed his hand. Kane received a 5-minute major, and Kadri did not return to the ice. After the game, Landeskog noted, “You’re taught from a young age that you don’t do that. Especially in that distance from the boards,” and as Bednar says, “It’s the most dangerous play in hockey.” Bednar said that Kadri will miss the remainder of the series, if not longer. Reports suggest he has a broken thumb.
Quite frankly, we’re lucky he only has a broken thumb; a play like that has the potential to end careers. The NHL’s department of player safety reviewed the play; considering Kane’s three previous suspensions and two fines, he has received a one-game suspension. In the fast-paced game of hockey, it can be difficult to assess what is intentional and what is an unfortunate outcome due to the nature of the sport. Samuel Girard has a broken sternum from what was considered a fair hit. Injuries happen, but in no way should players be going for a hit on an opponent who is well away from the boards.
It can’t go unnoticed that Kadri has been a heated player of controversy and is not innocent of dirty plays himself. He has been suspended six times, three coming in the playoffs and as recent as last year with an eight-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head. Some Blues fans are cheering on Kadri’s injury and even had former NHL ref Tim Peel tweet “Karma!” following his injury. The post has been deleted, and the former ref was dismissed from the NHL in 2021 for being caught on the mic saying he “wanted to call a penalty.” Peel also had two other posts against Kadri after his most recent incident with the Blues goaltender. These tweets have also been deleted.
However, it makes one wonder what kind of biases are out there in the refs? Would the consequences have been greater if Kane took a hit like that on MacKinnon? It shouldn’t matter who has been hit, who did the hitting, how severe the injury is, or if there is even one. In my opinion, had Kadri suffered a head injury, Kane would have had bigger consequences. It shouldn’t matter how injured a player is, it is the play's action that needs to be addressed, and that action should have consistent discipline.
Kane claimed, “I was just trying to get up on him, that's really all I did. Unfortunately, he went into the boards awkwardly and hurt his hand. That was unfortunate.” This is Kane’s third suspension, and in my opinion, he should not even be playing in the NHL for reasons that have nothing to due with his on-ice performance. A glance at his Wikipedia page will tell you all you need to know. There is an entire section headed “Controversies and legal issue,” in which the sub-headers are:
· Assault and harassment charges
· Gambling debt and bankruptcy
· NHL game betting allegations
· Domestic violence allegations
· Violation of NHL Covid-19 protocols
In 2021 his former team, the San Jose Sharks, placed him on waivers and reassigned him to the AHL, and in 2022 after violating AHL Covid protocols, he was placed on unconditional waivers with the intent to terminate his contract. Shortly after this, the Oilers, in a desperate attempt to jump-start their season, signed him in January 2022. After being out of the playoff picture midway through the season, and now in the Western Conference Finals, the addition of Kane appears to have paid off. He has been a dominant force for the team, with 13 goals and four assists in the playoffs.
The Oilers took a chance on a player who is a known piece of s***, but a good hockey player and are now facing elimination without one of their top performers. Sadly, the Avs will also be missing one of their top contributors. Kadri has had six goals and eight assists so far. The difference is the Avs have the deeper club. We have spent years building up the team because you need depth to win the Cup. It was only a matter of time until injuries started to rack up. The Avalanche has been plagued with injuries all season; this is not new.
The Avs will persevere, and if we don’t get them tonight in Edmonton, we will be at home on Wednesday. It is as much of a fact as Frankie having his pilot’s license. No wonder he can stay so calm under pressure; perhaps we would be calling him “Maverick” rather than “Frankie.”
I’d like to think this is MacKinnon and McDavid in another world.