Avs Andrew Cogliano Out Indefinitely After Fracturing Neck
The Colorado Avalanche will be without veteran forward Andrew Cogliano for Sunday's Game 7 against the Seattle Kraken and likely beyond.
Cogliano reportedly sustained a nasty injury — a fractured neck — after being boarded by Kraken forward Jordan Eberle.
The hit happened late in the second period of Game 6 with the Avalanche up 3-1.
As you can see, Cogliano went into the boards very awkwardly/ After he went down his teammates jumped to his defense and grabbed Eberle. Fortunately, Cogliano was able to get up with some help and went down the tunnel.
Eberle received a minor for boarding on the play. He did not receive any supplemental discipline for the hit either.
What's wild — given what we know now about the hit — is that Cogliano returned to the game in the third period and the Avalanche went on to win 4-1, forcing Game 7.
However, the following day, reports began to emerge on the specifics of Cogliano's injury.
That's some scary stuff. Here's to hoping Cogliano is on the mend sooner than later.
With so much on the line, his absence is a hit to Colorado's depth. They don't need any more of those, especially up front.
They've already been without Valeri Nichushkin (personal reasons) for most of this series. Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee) has also been out only he's been absent for the entire season.
The 35-year-old is also a huge veteran presence for the Avs. That's something they'll miss in a high-pressure situation like Game 7 against Seattle.
The winner of the Avalanche-Kraken series will move on to play the Dallas Stars in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle