Nobody is more aware of how much it cost the Avalanche to obtain Semyon Varlamov via trade than the Russian goalie himself. Which is why the last few days have been tough for him, with Avs coach Joe Sacco choosing to play veteran Jean-Sebastien Giguere the past three games.
“I didn’t play good the last two weeks, for sure,” said Varlamov, acquired from Washington for the Avs’ first- and second-round draft picks in 2012. “I didn’t help the team win the last few games. It’s been tough for me.”
Varlamov, 23, hopes things change for the better in his next start — which could come Wednesday at the Pepsi Center against the Vancouver Canucks.
“Right now, my head is clear and I’ve had a break for the last six or seven days,” he said. “I think right now I’m ready to go, ready to play well. Every year, I try to learn something new, pick up something new. I have to learn from this last thing.”
Varlamov has a 5-8-1 record with an .890 save percentage, a steep dropoff from the strong numbers he posted in the first two weeks of the season. The Avs have played looser defensively in front of Varlamov than Giguere, with Varlamov facing an average of 32.5 shots in his 14 appearances, to 24.9 for Giguere.
Varlamov’s save percentage at even strength is .905 (346 shots, 313 saves), but only .797 in power-play situations (59-47). It hasn’t been all his fault, as the Avs’ penalty-killing unit is 26th in the NHL, at 77.5 percent.
Avalanche goalie coach Kirk McLean has been with the team for the past week, working closely with Varlamov, with lots of work on playing his angles better.
“I have to always work hard, because if you don’t it’s easy to fall (into a rut),” he said.
Bag skate. With the Avs 2-7-1 in their past 10 games, Sacco on Monday put his team through a “bag skate” — a hockey euphemism for a grueling back-and-forth skating session.
Players skated from each blue line and back for roughly eight minutes. The team practiced for nearly 90 minutes, with Sacco raising his voice on more than one occasion. The coach took the day off from the media.
Mueller update. Avalanche left wing Peter Mueller skated hard through the practice, but it remains unclear when he might return from his latest concussion symptoms.
Mueller said he’s “still trying to put some good days” together in succession. Asked if Monday could be classified as a good day, Mueller said “I don’t know.” To put those words in better context, however, Mueller is very tough on himself and self-effacing. He would not speculate on when he might return, but his speed and quickness appeared to be strong at practice.
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
