Andy Cross, The Denver Post
Alex Tanguay is likely to play against Chicago tonight. That’s the word from the team. He was a scratch last night with that facial fracture, despite flying to Arizona with the team.
The Avs say Erik Johnson will be a game-time decision for the game with Chicago. In case he can’t go, Karl Stollery has been recalled from Lake Erie and will play if No. 6 can’t.
Only four players were on the ice this morning at the Pepsi Center – Patrick Bordeleau, Jesse Winchester, John Mitchell and Semyon Varlamov.
The fact that Varly is back on skates is obviously a good thing. He took a lot of shots fro the three players, and looked good and mobile to me. Lots of side-to-side movement, lots of pushing off with the skates. He has been placed on injured reserve for the time being, however, partially to make room for Stollery. But if things progress the way they seem to going with Varlamov, it shouldn’t be too long before he’s back. At least, one wouldn’t assume. But wait, what happens when you assume things again?
The fact that Calvin Pickard is starting tonight is a nice reward for him from Patrick Roy. And, also, finally an admission from Roy that, no, Reto Berra isn’t playing too well right now. Roy laughed at questions Monday morning questioning Berra’s play. He’s not doing that anymore for the time being.
Mitchell skated for a while today, and then seemed to aggravate something at the end. He was hunched over in seeming pain, and left the ice right after that. No word on his condition moving forward, other than he’s still listed as day-to-day (aren’t we all).
I talked with Winchester the other day, and while he said he’s doing OK overall, he is still having problems related to the concussion suffered before the season. There are still some vision issues and things like that. It’s tough, and he’s frustrated by it. Just have to hope the symptoms lift.
