DENVER (AP) 鈥� The will be without forward Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin for the first two games of their second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche because of lower-body injuries.
Neither player made the trip to Denver. Wild coach John Hynes said the team is still 鈥渕aking a couple decisions on the lineup” ahead of Game 1 on Sunday night.
The Avalanche will be Josh Manson, who missed the series clincher last Sunday with an upper-body injury. Avs coach Jared Bednar said Nick Blankenburg will slide into Manson’s place. The team acquired Blankenburg in a deal with Nashville on March 4.
鈥淗e’s played good in the time he’s been with us,鈥� Bednar said. 鈥淲e got him for a reason 鈥� like the way he moves, like the way he moves the puck. He plays with a little bite. He鈥檚 got to stay within himself. It鈥檚 going to be a challenge for him tonight, because the thing we’ll miss with (Manson) is the size, the strength, the physicality.”
Eriksson Ek had three goals and two assists in the Wild’s first-round series win over Dallas. He finished with a 56.4% faceoff win rate. Danila Yurov and Hunter Haight could be possibilities to take Eriksson Ek’s place.
鈥淓kky’s a big part of the team,” Hynes said. “When you lose a guy that plays that many situations, you have to do it collectively as a group, and it鈥檚 not all on one guy.鈥�
Brodin didn’t play in Game 6 against Dallas.
Hynes said given the break between Games 2 and 3 鈥� the teams play Tuesday and not again until Saturday 鈥� that 鈥渂oth those guys will be reevaluated and see where it goes from there.鈥�
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AP NHL playoffs: and
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