Avs coach Bednar cleared to coach after irregularity with COVID-19 test results

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar will be behind the bench Thursday night in Las Vegas for Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights after missing morning skate due to “irregularity in his COVID test results.”

The Avs trail the Golden Knights 3-2 in their second-round series and need a win Thursday to stay alive.

In his fifth season behind the bench for the Avalanche in 2020-21, Bednar, 49, coached Colorado to a 39-13-4 record, good enough to capture the NHL’s Presidents’ Trophy.

The Avalanche advanced to the second-round last season where they fell to the Dallas Stars in seven games.

Right-shot rearguard Timothy Liljegren will miss Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury, which means the Leafs will be forced to dress an all-lefty defence.

“I don’t like it,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe of his previous experience with the alignment. “We do have a number of guys that are at least comfortable on the right side, and certainly if not comfortable at least have experience with it, and can manage that and just press on.”

Jake McCabe switched to the right side earlier this season and has been playing in that spot consistently. T.J. Brodie has played his off side for most of his career before moving to the left after the suspension to Morgan Rielly. At Monday’s practice, Simon Benoit got reps on the right. William Lagesson has also filled in on that side.

“McCabe’s getting to a point that he’s got enough reps there and he’s had some success with it, so he’s feeling good with it,” Keefe said. “Morgan, over my time here, has been very willing to play the right side. Obviously, he hasn’t done very much of it, but any time that we have asked him to or needed somebody to, he’s kind of the first one with his hand up and wants to go over there.”

When Liljegren got hurt on Saturday, Rielly offered to switch sides so Brodie could remain on the left.

“He just said, ‘I’ll go play the right side,’ and he’s good with that,” Keefe noted.

Benoit indicated that the plan is for him to remain with McCabe to start Tuesday’s game.

“I suspect we’ll be moving things around a fair bit,” Keefe cautioned.

The Golden Knights believe they can take advantage of Toronto’s all-southpaw defence.

“On D to D [passes] in the neutral zone, sometimes if you take a good angle you can limit where they can go with the puck or force a quicker play,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Pucks coming around the boards in the offensive zone, you recognize you can get on top of them a little quicker, because they have to take it backhand to forehand. In general, those are probably the areas. I don’t know how well they pivot on their off side. Stuff like that you wouldn’t know until you play against them a few times. But, in general, there are a few opportunities.”

Cassidy did note that his team will have to be on the lookout for quicker one timers when the Leafs have the puck in the offensive zone.