Makar Out vs Stars Awaiting Birth of Twins

Cale Makar has a better reason to miss a hockey game than most. The Colorado Avalanche star defenseman is out Tuesday against the Dallas Stars so he can stay home with his wife, Tracy, as they await the birth of their twins, the team announced. Noah Juulsen draws into the lineup in his place.

Makar, 27, has three goals and four assists in five games this season. The two-time Norris Trophy winner has played at least 75 games in three of the last four campaigns, so sitting one by choice is the rare night when hockey is not the priority.

How Colorado covers No. 8

Devon Toews moves onto the top power-play unit, and Sam Malinski runs the second unit, per the Denver Gazette. Toews and Malinski also form the top defensive pair. Malinski was a healthy scratch two games ago in Calgary, so this is a real chance for him to prove he belongs in those minutes.

Coach Jared Bednar said the pairings will bounce around. "We need other guys to sort of step in in different areas of the game. Hopefully everything goes good for him and Tracy and the family."

Nathan MacKinnon was on the ice for morning skate after a maintenance day Monday and is playing. Mackenzie Blackwood starts in net opposite Jake Oettinger.

Home-and-home without the star

Colorado and Dallas open a home-and-home Tuesday in Dallas and Wednesday in Denver. Bednar left the door open for Makar to return for the rematch depending on how the birth goes. That is the subplot Avalanche fans will refresh all night: family first, then maybe a quick reunion at Ball Arena.

For Stars fans, a Makar-less Avalanche blue line is the kind of soft spot you try to attack early. For Colorado fans, the trade is obvious. You can live without one night of elite defense if the twins arrive healthy.

Bigger than the box score

Makar has been Colorado's engine on the back end for years, and the Avalanche are asking everyone else to cover those minutes for at least one night. Juulsen has one assist in three games, so the bar is not Norris-level production. It is survive Dallas, protect the house, and give Makar the space to be a dad.

Hockey seasons are long and Norris races are loud, but Tuesday is not about minutes or matchups. It is about Makar being where he needs to be. Avalanche fans will take the Juulsen minutes, cheer the depth, and hope the next update from Colorado is a welcome-to-the-world announcement instead of another injury report.