LOS ANGELES — It took longer than the Avalanche wanted, but backup goalie Pavel Francouz is back in time for the NHL playoffs.
Francouz will get the start in net Sunday (6:30 p.m. MT) in Anaheim, returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him two months, coach Jared Bednar said Saturday evening before the Avs faced the Kings. Alexandar Georgiev is starting the first game of the back-to-back.
It will be Francouz’s first game since Feb. 7 in Pittsburgh. The Czech netminder was initially estimated to miss four weeks with his second injury this season, but the recovery took longer than expected.