ST. LOUIS — Avalanche coach Patrick Roy has tried to avoid looking at the NHL standings, particularly the Western Conference wild-card race. It’s too tight, too volatile, too frustrating when you’re involved in so many three-point games.
The Avs entered Monday’s game just three points outside the West’s eighth and final playoff slot, going 10-4-4 in their previous 18 games. But Colorado’s 10 overtime or shootout losses were second most in the conference, behind the Los Angeles Kings (11). The Avs (48 points) and Kings (51) were among four teams within four points of each other, including the white-hot Dallas Stars, who have won three of their last four after snapping a losing streak.
“Sometimes you feel like you’re getting closer and all of a sudden everyone else starts winning again,” Roy said. “It’s how we’re playing that matters, and we know if we want to be a part of the big dance at the end we’re going to have to play outstanding hockey.”
Riding Varly. Semyon Varla- mov is scheduled to continue to serve as the Avalanche’s undisputed No. 1 goalie, despite Calvin Pickard’s NHL-leading .936 save percentage. Roy said Varlamov will make his third consecutive start Wednesday against the Boston Bruins.
After hosting Boston, the Avs are off until playing at Nashville on Jan. 27, at which time Pickard might again be sent down to the minors when Reto Berra’s two-week American Hockey League conditioning assignment ends.
Footnotes. Defenseman Zach Redmond was Colorado’s only healthy scratch Monday, his 11th consecutive. … Jarome Iginla took the opening draw on the Ryan O’Reilly-centered line with left wing Gabe Lan- deskog. After that first shift, Iginla returned to his regular line with center Matt Duchene and left wing Alex Tanguay.
