The Colorado Avalanche have been torrid lately, on a 7-2 roll that's put them a point out of playoff contention. Star center Matt Duchene hasn't exactly been the offensive engine during that streak with four points, but he is … well, Matt Duchene.
Losing him for a month would hurt. After this play against the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night, that's what the Avs are expecting:
The Avalanche reported Duchene is out "at least a month" with a left knee injury.
How does this affect the Avs? From Adrian Dater of the Denver Post, before the announcement:
The loss of Duchene for an extended period obviously would not be good news, and would really test the Avs' already thin depth up front. He hasn't had a great season, but he's still put up 24 points and those will be hard points to replace. I would suspect we'll see a lot more of Stastny and O'Reilly as 1-2 centers, and the imminent return of David Jones could alleviate some pressure at the wings.
Alas, the duration of this injury rehab might mean no Matty drowning in vodka in Ottawa for the All-Star Game.