Avs' Kuemper ready for second round

When the Colorado Avalanche open the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, their top goaltender Darcy Kuemper plans to be in net.

Colorado awaits the winner of the St. Louis Blues-Minnesota Wild series after sweeping the Nashville Predators in the first round.

Avalanche coach Jared Bednar confirmed Kuemper would be good for the first game of the second-round series after sitting out the Game 4 closeout of Nashville with an eye injury.

Kuemper won the first two games of the series, but he took a hit to the eye from the stick of Predators centre Ryan Johansen in Game 3. Johansen's stick went through Kuemper's mask.