LOS ANGELES \u2013 The Avalanche will have to make their first lineup change due to injury for Sunday\u2019s Game 4.<\/p>\n
Josh Manson, who played 79 games for the Avalanche during the regular season and has two assists in three games against the Kings, will miss Game 4 with an upper-body injury. Manson left the bench after taking a hit along the boards near the end of the first period in Game 3. He did return to take one shift in the second period, but immediately exited for the rest of the night after that shift. <\/p>\n
After practice on Saturday, coach Jared Bednar described Manson as being \u201csore\u201d and that they\u2019d continue to reevaluate him on a daily basis.<\/p>\n
In Manson\u2019s absence, deadline pickup Nick Blankenburg is expected to make his debut in the NHL playoffs. The 27-year-old defenseman played 12 games for the Avalanche after being acquired from the Nashville Predators and started to look more comfortable late in the season. He finished with three points in those 12 games, scoring two goals in the final four games of the regular season.<\/p>\n
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