Is Nathan MacKinnon Playing Tonight? Avalanche vs Golden Knights Game 4 Injury Report & Odds
By Brady Trettenero in NHL Hockey
Published:
- Nathan MacKinnon’s status for Game 4 was the biggest storyline after he blocked a Shea Theodore shot in Game 3
- Colorado is also dealing with a Valeri Nichushkin question mark and a goalie change heading into a must-win night
- See the full Avalanche vs Golden Knights injury report and latest odds for Game 4 below
Colorado’s season comes down to tonight. The Avs are down 3-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, and the entire hockey world wants to know one thing heading into Game 4: is Nathan MacKinnon playing?
Here’s the full Avalanche vs Golden Knights injury report for Game 4, plus the latest NHL odds from FanDuel.
Is Nathan MacKinnon Playing Tonight?
Yes. Bednar confirmed Tuesday that MacKinnon will play Game 4 with no restrictions on his role. He blocked a Shea Theodore shot off the inside of his right knee at 12:15 of the second period in Game 3 and was helped off the ice, but gutted out a return in the third and finished with 18:02 of ice time in the 5-3 loss.
Big news for Colorado. MacKinnon leads the Avs with seven goals and 15 points this postseason after a regular season where he led the NHL with 53 goals and finished with 127 points.
Colorado Avalanche Injury Report
Nichushkin picked up a lower-body injury late in Game 3’s second period, and his status is up in the air heading into warm-ups. He has two goals and two assists this postseason after a 17-goal, 32-assist regular season. Losing him would gut Colorado’s top-six depth in a must-win spot.
Makar returned for Game 3 after missing the first two with an upper-body injury, logging 27:14 of ice time and a game-high six blocked shots. He’s playing tonight but isn’t fully healthy.
Bednar is also making a switch in net, with Mackenzie Blackwood taking over for Scott Wedgewood, who allowed 12 goals across the three losses.
Vegas Golden Knights Injury Report
Vegas is in much better shape. Stone missed Games 1 and 2 of this series before returning in Game 3 and scoring a power-play goal, plus setting up Tomas Hertl’s go-ahead tally in the comeback. He logged 15:45 in his return and is expected back in tonight.
Lauzon hasn’t skated since May 18 and isn’t expected back before June 1 at the earliest. Pietrangelo’s hip injury has him done for the year.
Vegas has allowed just 10 goals across the three wins, with Carter Hart sitting at 11-4 and a .921 SV% through 15 playoff starts.
Avalanche vs Golden Knights Odds
Colorado is a slight -114 moneyline favorite despite the 3-0 hole, with an implied probability of about 53%. Vegas comes back at -105, which makes sense given their backs aren’t really against any wall. The puck line sits at 1.5 goals, and the total is set at 6.5.
Puck drop is set for tonight at T-Mobile Arena, with the Golden Knights one win away from a fourth Stanley Cup Final appearance. Check out the latest NHL playoff bracket heading into Game 4.
Odds as of May 26 via FanDuel. Check out our top recommended NHL betting apps for the Western Conference Final.
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Lead NHL & NCAAF Editor
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
