It looks like all of Semyon Varlamov's work with new Avalanche goalie coach Francois Allaire is paying off.

Varlamov made 37 saves Sunday night in the Avalanche's 2-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center, his second strong performance in as many appearances this preseason.

And in a road game, no less. The Avalanche was brutal on the road last season.

Guillaume Desbiens and Brad Malone scored for the Avalanche against a Ducks team that had plenty of regulars in a lineup that was much stronger than the one they used to skate to a 2-1 win at the Pepsi Center on Wednesday.

Varlamov has turned aside 59 of the 62 shots he's faced in his two games for a sizzling .952 save percentage.

Monday will be an off day for the Avalanche, which plays the Dallas Stars at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday night to complete the home portion of the six-game preseason.

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The Avalanche earlier announced that the club has claimed center Marc-Andre Cliche off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings and assigned goalie Calvin Pickard to the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.

Cliche, 26, is 6 feet and 203 pounds. He had 10 goals, 10 assists and 46 penalty minutes in 57 games last season with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs. Except for one game with the Kings in 2009-10, Cliche has spent all six years of his professional career with Manchester.

Cliche (pronounced Kleesh) was a second-round pick (56th overall) of the New York Rangers in the 2005 NHL draft. The Rangers traded him to the Kings with Jan Marek, Jason Ward and a third-round pick in exchange for Sean Avery and John Seymour on Feb. 5, 2007. Cliche missed most of the 2008-09 season because of a shoulder injury and most of the 2004-05 season with Lewiston in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with a shoulder injury.

Cliche had two shots on goal for the Kings in 10:29 of playing time Friday night at the Pepsi Center in the Avalanche's 4-3 overtime win.

Pickard relieved Sami Aittokallio midway through the second period Friday, stopped four of five shots and was credited with the win.

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