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Varly, Compher, Andrighetto out; MacKinnon relishes All-Star nod |
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Rick Sadowski
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The Avalanche resumed practice Friday following their five-day break and will begin the second half of the season Saturday in Dallas without goalie Semyon Varlamov and two forwards, Sven Andrighetto and J.T. Compher, all still recovering from injuries.
It's why goalie Andrew Hammond, forward A.J. Greer and defenseman David Warsofsky were recalled from their respective AHL teams, Hammond from Belleville, Greer and Warsofsky from San Antonio.
Coach Jared Bednar said the goal is to get Varlamov, who is out with a lower-body injury, back on the ice before the Jan. 26 NHL All-Star break. Varlamov left late in the second period Jan. 2 against Winnipeg and has since been reexamined.
Varlamov missed the second half of last season to recover from separate surgeries on each hip in an attempt to alleviate the chronic groin problems he's experienced throughout his career.
"He'll be out for a bit," Bednar said. "It's a muscular injury, a lower-body injury. There's so much detail in what he had done last year -- groins and hips and everything. He's got a strain there and the plan is to be a little bit cautious and to get him back to full health, and turn him loose for the second half of the year, hopefully."
Compher practiced Friday while wearing a non-contact jersey and will miss his fourth game with an upper-body injury. He might be able to practice with contact Sunday and play Monday against Anaheim. Andrighetto, who will miss his third game with a lower-body injury, will skate on his own the next few days before he is reexamined.
Jonathan Bernier will start against the Stars, who also are coming off their five-day break. He was named the NHL's second star for the week ending Jan. 7 after going 3-0-0 with a shutout, 1.60 goals-against average and .957 save percentage.
Bernier is 9-7-1 for the season with two shutouts, a 2.88 goals-against average and .909 save percentage.
"He's earned the opportunity," Bednar said. "He's been patient waiting for his starts, and now he's got a chance to play some games, and we're going to ride him a little bit."
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Nathan MacKinnon spent the break in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with his girlfriend.
“There’s lots of cool wildlife,” he said. “I don’t want to get soft over the break in L.A. or anything, so I went to where it’s snowy.”
The 22-year-old center is tied for second in the NHL scoring race with 52 points (18 goals, 34 assists) and was named earlier this week to the Central Division team for the NHL All-Star Game, his second in a row.
“It’s cool,” MacKinnon said. “I went last year and I didn’t really feel like I deserved to go. I know they have to take someone from each team, so that’s why I went. This year, I feel like I deserve it. I feel like I earned an All-Star selection, along with lots of other guys on this team that I think deserved a chance as well. I’m obviously very honored and excited to represent the Avs.”
If it had been up to MacKinnon, there wouldn't have been a week-long break since last Saturday's 7-2 win against Minnesota, the Avalanche's fifth win in a row.
"I’d rather have a less compressed schedule (in the second half),” he said. “Guys have different opinions, but I’d rather have more days off during the season than have five days off in a row. We have 16 games in March. I don’t know the point of it. Guys like it, it was nice to get a vacation for sure, I would just rather keep going, especially the way we’re playing."
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