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Varlamov starts, Greer will play

February 7, 2019, 2:14 PM ET [3 Comments]
Rick Sadowski
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Semyon Varlamov steps back in goal Thursday in Washington when the Avalanche open a three-game road trip.

The GAME NOTES.

Coach Jared Bednar said forward A.J. Greer, who was recalled from the Colorado Eagles, will be in the lineup, but he didn’t say whose place he would take.

Greer, 22, had 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) in 36 games with the Eagles. He played in five games with the Avalanche earlier this season without getting a point. He has four assists in 27 career NHL games.

I’d really like to see him get a chance on a decent line for more than a hot minute, find out if he can play at this level, but he’ll likely get stuck on the fourth line again.

The Avalanche also recalled defenseman Anton Lindholm, who had seven assists in 34 games with the Eagles.

The Avalanche have been outscored 20-7 in their four-game losing streak, have lost eight of the past 10 games (2-8-0) and 14 of 17 (3-12-2). They’ve allowed at least three goals in 35 of the first 52 games.

The defending Stanley Cup champ Capitals have lost eight of their past 10 (2-6-2) and allowed at least four goals in five of their past nine games, so maybe there’s hope.

The Avalanche were 17-7-5 on Dec. 7, tied with Nashville with 39 points for the best record in the Western Conference, though the Predators had two more wins.

They’ve since gone 5-15-3 and fallen into ninth place in the West, two points out of the final playoff spot with 30 games remaining.




“It’s never a time to panic for me because it doesn’t get you anywhere,” Bednar said. “We just have to keep working to find solutions, keep trying to grind through it, build our confidence by doing the right things and keep resetting and coming to the rink with the right attitude. We’re going to work to get better and be the best team we can possibly be.

“It’s adversity for our club, no question, but in my opinion your character has to come through and the adversity has to make you better. You have to learn from it, you have to keep trying to force yourself to get better as a team and as an individual.”

*****

The Avalanche made a minor trade Tuesday, acquiring Max McCormick from Ottawa for J.C. Beaudin in an exchange of minor-league forwards.

McCormick, 26, will report to the Eagles. He had 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 19 games with Belleville of the AHL and one assist in 14 games with Ottawa.

Beaudin, 21, was the Avalanche’s third-round pick (No. 71) in the 2015 NHL draft. He had 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 42 games with the Eagles. He’ll head to Belleville.



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