The Avalanche, riding a season-best three-game winning streak and points in its last six, returned from a three-day holiday break Saturday morning to prepare for the ensuing game against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Pepsi Center.
Avs coach Patrick Roy will stick with the same lineup that produced Tuesday’s 5-0 rout of the St. Louis Blues, except rookie goalie Calvin Pickard will start and Semyon Varlamov will serve as the backup.
, or in the near future if Varlamov continues to elude setbacks from his troubling groin injury. Pickard’s .939 save percentage is the NHL’s second highest behind Winnipeg’s Michael Hutchinson (.944).
Chicago is coming off a 5-1 loss to the visiting Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. The Blackhawks beat the Avs 3-2 on Nov. 26 in Denver in the first meeting between the Central Division rivals this season.
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or twitter.com/mikechambers
