Recent injury news confirms a unexpected player will be healthy scratched for the Colorado Avalanche

According to recent reports the Colorado Avalanche will be making defenseman Sam Girard a healthy scratch tonight, as Joel Kiviranta will be retuning to the lineup.

Girard, who has made 70 appearances with the Avalanche this season has managed to score three times and added 20 assists for 23 points, along with 12 penalty minutes and a plus-eight rating, will officially be out of tonight's lineup.

The Colorado Avalanche are expected to get a fan favourite back into their lineup tonight after it was revealed that forward Joel Kiviranta will return to the Avalanche lineup after being sidelined with a lower-body injury.

Kiviranta has missed the Avalanche's last three games with a lower-body injury, and the team has gone 1-1-1 in that stretch, but he will be officially returning tonight after an announcement confirmed it.

As the Avalanche only have seven more games remaining of the season, before the Stanley Cup Playoffs, head coach Jared Bednar will be looking to slot in players he believes will push the team higher into the Central Division.

Hopefully this is the right move, as the Avalanche will take on the Blackhawks at 7:30PM tonight, in hopes to claim an easy two points.

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