Bednar: 'I have a lot of faith in' Francouz after Kuemper injury

With Darcy Kuemper's status unclear after exiting Game 1 with an injury on Tuesday, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar says he he has no shortage of confidence in backup Pavel Francouz, should he be needed moving forward.

Kuemper left in the second period of his team's 8-6 win over the Edmonton Oilers with an upper-body injury. Francouz, who last played during Colorado's first-round series against the Nashville Predators, made 18 saves on 21 shots in relief.

"I have a lot of faith in [Francouz]. So does our team," Bednar said. "So, having a guy like that is obviously key. See through the playoffs how many teams are onto their second goalie and some teams' third and trying to survive. You've got to have capable goaltending from more than one guy, and we have it."

Bednar did not provide a timeline for Kuemper's status post-game, stating "we'll see" when asked if the goaltender is day-to-day. He allowed three goals on 13 shots before exiting with the injury.

After suffering a 9-6 loss to the Flames in Game 1 last round, the TSN Hockey panel discusses how it was Deja vu for the Oilers in another high-scoring Game 1, and explains how an obscure offside rule saved Cale Makar's goal but created a ton of confusion.

The 32-year-old has a 6-2 record in the playoffs with a .897 save percentage and a 2.65 goals-against average. He went 37-12-4 during the regular season with a .921 save percentage and a 2.54 GAA.

Francouz, 31, improved to 3-0 in the postseason with Tuesday's win, owning an .889 save percentage and a 3.59 GAA in three appearances and one start. He had a 15-5-1 record during the regular season with a .916 save percentage and a 2.55 GAA.

Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft was pleased with his team's offensive