LOS ANGELES — It took longer than the Avalanche wanted, but backup goalie Pavel Francouz is back in time for the NHL playoffs.
Francouz will get the start in net Sunday (6:30 p.m. MT) in Anaheim, returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him two months, coach Jared Bednar said Saturday evening before the Avs faced the Kings. Alexandar Georgiev is starting the first game of the back-to-back.
It will be Francouz’s first game since Feb. 7 in Pittsburgh. The Czech netminder was initially estimated to miss four weeks with his second injury this season, but the recovery took longer than expected.
Francouz has started 15 games this season, allowing 2.53 goals per game with a .919 save percentage. He is 7-7-1 in his fourth season with the Avalanche, and he has maintained his perfect career save percentage in shootouts by shutting down Seattle three times in January.
Defenseman Bo Byram will also miss Colorado’s game against the Kings with an illness. He didn’t practice Friday with the team. With Cale Makar (lower body) already out, Brad Hunt will join the lineup alongside Kurtis MacDermid.
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