Overview
- Cale Makar left practice in visible pain on Sunday but traveled with the team, skated in Tuesday’s morning skate, played that night and recorded two assists in Colorado’s 6-3 win.
- Colorado had called up rookie defenseman Alex Gagne as a seventh defenseman before the road trip as a precautionary roster move to cover for any absence.
- Gabriel Landeskog scored twice and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 28 shots as the Avalanche finished with balanced scoring and defensive depth against Toronto.
- The Maple Leafs remain hampered by multiple injuries to core players and shaky goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky, while veteran Chris Tanev publicly objected to the team’s load-management plan before returning to the lineup.
- The game underscored a trend in the NHL where short-term call-ups and conservative player management now directly affect who plays and can change immediate results and team planning.