Avalanche at Oilers
THE STORY: Semyon Varlamov is about to get another chance to prove himself worthy of being the No. 1 goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche. With Jean-Sebastien Giguere expected to miss time with a groin injury, Varlamov will carry the load beginning Friday against the Oilers in Edmonton. While it is unclear how long Giguere will be out, he has a long history of groin injuries, including surgery. The Oilers, unlike the Avalanche, have fallen out of playoff contention.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Avalanche), SNET-W (Oilers)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (28-26-4): Varlamov was acquired from Washington for a first-round draft pick and a conditional second-rounder, a steep price for an unproven No. 1 goaltender. Giguere took over as the go-to guy after Varlamov struggled to a 10-13-1 start. Colorado, which is five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West, has lost two straight and is 2-5-2 in its last nine. The Avalanche have dropped their last four on the road, including a 3-2 defeat at Edmonton on Jan. 31 in the last meeting. Colorado fell to 2-13-1 against fellow Northwest Division teams following its 3-1 loss at Vancouver on Wednesday.
ABOUT THE OILERS (22-28-6): Edmonton has lost three of its last four, including a 4-3 overtime setback to Toronto on Wednesday as it continues to go through growing pains as one of the youngest teams in the league. Nikolai Khabibulin made his third straight start in goal Wednesday and some believe the Oilers are showcasing the veteran prior to the Feb. 27 trade deadline. Edmonton continues to be cautious with 18-year-old center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who is out for the second time this season with a shoulder injury. Coach Tom Renney returned to the bench Wednesday after he was struck by a puck during practice on Feb. 6 and suffered a concussion.
OVERTIME:
1. Avalanche forward TJ Galiardi is expected to miss 7-10 days with a torso injury suffered Wednesday.
2. The Oilers have the top home power play at 24.8 percent while the Avalanche own the second-best road power play at 24.4.
3. Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson has scored in two straight games.