Coach Jared Bednar said Burakowski is still being evaluated and will take part in the Avalanche in Tampa on Monday. Its availability for Game 3 remains unknown. Burakowski left Saturday early in the second period after a shot by Victor Hedman from the hand. This is Burakowski’s second injury after the season, after he was forced to miss two games in the Western Conference final against Edmonton due to a leg injury. Burakowski said last week that he had only recently felt close to recovering from the problem, but was still taking regular days off from training and morning skates. 2 About The Avalanche are already playing short in their first six as Nazem Kadri remains out after thumb surgery. He last played in the 3rd game of the conference finals and resumed skating with a stick last week. Bednar said Sunday that Kadri will travel with the team to Tampa, but is still considered a daily occurrence. “We hope to see him at some point,” Bednar said. “I’m not sure about Game 3 or Game 4 [though]. “ Burakowski has shown his best hockey in the playoffs since replacing Country on Avalanche’s second line. The great winger scored the winner of Colorado overtime in Game 1 and made the most of the limited playing time in Game 2, scoring a key assist in Valeri Nichushkin’s goal and scoring another himself. Burakowski now has three goals and eight points in 12 games this season. Bednar juggled his lines again without Burakowski in Game 2, putting Artturi Lehkonen in the second division with Mikko Rantanen and JT Compher. Colorado will wait and see if Burakowski will be able to play in Monday’s 3rd game. Avalanche did take Andrew Cogliano (finger) back on Saturday to deepen his forward. If Burakovsky is not available, it is possible that Nicolas Aube-Kubel will return to the squad, as he was a healthy scratch in Game 2.
