Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper picked up an injury during the first game of the Western Conference Finals, prompting the Avs to roll with backup Pavel Francouz during their sweep of the Oilers. On Tuesday, GM Joe Sakic dropped a huge truth bomb on Kuemper's status for the Stanley Cup Finals vs. the Lightning, claiming the Avs' goalie is “100% healthy,” via Peter Baugh.

That's huge news for the Avs as they gear up to take on the Lightning and deny Tampa Bay its chance at NHL history. The reigning champs are looking to complete the three-peat, but that will be made difficult with Kuemper cleared for action. While Francouz was solid in relief of the 32-year-old, the Avs will be happy to get their starter back between the sticks.

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Considering they'll be up against some of the world's most experienced playoff goalscorers in Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos, Kuemper's availability will be critical, and Sakic offered fans a major confidence boost with Game 1 looming.

The Stanley Cup Finals are set to get underway on Wednesday with Game 1 taking place in Denver. The Avs are hoping to get off to a strong start against the Lightning, and having Kuemper in the net will help them mitigate the potent offense of Tampa.

The Avalanche haven't played since Game 4 against the Oilers, meaning they'll enter this series on almost 10 days of rest. That has helped Kuemper get back to full strength and hopefully the rest of the squad comes out energized and looking to deal damage early in Game 1.