Backup goalie
Pavel Francouz could make his first NHL start Saturday when the Avalanche face Arizona to close out their four-game homestand,
Coach
Jared Bednar said after practice Friday that it’s a “good possibility” the Czech Republic native will get the nod.
Philipp Grubauer made 39 saves Thursday in the Avalanche’s come-from-behind 4-2 win against previously-unbeaten Boston and is 3-0-0 overall with a 2.34 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.
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GAME STORY.
The Avalanche open a six-game road trip Monday in Washington and Bednar doesn't want Francouz waiting much longer before playing. He previously played Sept. 25 in a 4-1 preseason win in Las Vegas.
“He’s had some time off for a little bit, so (there have been) conversations as far as when we’re starting him," Bednar said. "We’re 3-0 and Grubi’s been great. His last game was his best by far. He really stepped up against Boston, so it’s a tough decision for tomorrow’s game, but we don’t want Frankie sitting too long, either.
"We’ve got a lot of back-to-backs coming up and I don’t really want him sitting around for three weeks before he plays a game on the road.”
Francouz, 29, spent his first season in North America last year with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, posting a 27-17-3 record with three shutouts, a 2.68 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. He went 1-3 with a 3.31 average in the playoffs.
Francouz played two games in relief for the Avalanche, getting tagged with two hard-luck losses despite a 1.97 average and .943 save percentage.
He played two seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia and played six games for the Czech Republic in the 2018 Olympics, going 2-2 with a 2.27 average and .905 save percentage.
Originally signed to a one-year contract as a free agent on May 2, 2018, Francouz was re-signed to a one-year, $950,000 contract last May. He played in two preseason games last month, a 3-4 loss in Minnesota and a 4-1 win in Las Vegas.
Goalie coach
Jussi Parkkila has been “really happy with what he’s done in practice so far,” Bednar said. “That game in Vegas we really liked him. He had a rough first game in Minny, but we saw him settle down in Vegas, make some real good saves. He looked poised, confident, square to the shooter all the time, didn’t give up a lot of rebounds and secondary opportunities. That gave him confidence coming into the season."
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While
J.T. Compher practiced Friday after missing Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury,
Gabriel Landeskog and
Joonas Donskoi were nursing “minor injuries,” Bednar said, and didn’t practice. “Just gave them the day off to make sure they’re ready to go tomorrow.”
Asked if Compher has been cleared to play Saturday, Bednar said it would depend on how he feels after the morning skate.
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Defenseman
Mark Barberio played 18:42 against the Bruins, his first game since Jan. 21 against Nashville last season. He had three shots on goal, blocked three shots and was plus-1.
“I thought he was great, especially as the game went on,” Bednar said. “Third period he was outstanding.”
Barberio, who was paired with
Ryan Graves, missed 41 games last year with various injuries.
“It’s been a while,” he said. “I was just hoping to play again. It was good to be in the battle with the guys, that’s what you want. The emotion of the game, that’s what you miss the most. That feeling of victory was pretty sweet, but being with the guys is what I missed the most. I thought I adapted pretty quick. I got more comfortable as the game wore on.”
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