Injuries make task daunting

The Colorado Avalanche will go with backup goaltender Andrew Hammond for Game 5 in Nashville after starter Jonathan Bernier suffered a lower-body injury.

Colorado trails the Predators 3-1 in their West Conference quarter-final heading into Friday’s game.

Hammond stepped in Wednesday to begin the third period after Bernier was ruled out. Hammond stopped all eight shots he faced in his first playoff appearance since April 17, 2015, while with the Ottawa Senators.

The 30-year-old Hammond was acquired as part of a three-team trade in November that sent Matt Duchene to the Senators.

Bernier stepped into the starting role for the playoffs after Semyon Varlamov was sidelined by a knee injury in late March. Varlamov led the Avalanche with 24 wins this season.

Meanwhile, New Jersey’s top defenceman, Sami Vatanen, is being listed as day to day with an upper-body injury as the Devils prepare for a must-win Game 5 of their first-round series with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Vatanen was hurt late in the first period of the 3-1 win by the Lightning on Wednesday night when he was checked in the shoulder and head area by Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov.

The hit knocked Vatanen out of the game. No penalty was called on the play. The NHL reviewed the hit Thursday and no supplemental action was taken against Kucherov. Tampa Bay leads the series 3-1 and can wrap up the series at home Saturday.