ST. PAUL, Minn. — Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie missed his second consecutive game Saturday night because of a hip injury. He did not participate in the morning skate at the Xcel Energy Center but skated on his own afterward.
Coach Patrick Roy said Barrie is doubtful for Sunday’s game at Winnipeg, but his rehabilitation is otherwise “going well.” Saturday against the Wild, Stefan Elliott again replaced Barrie with partner Nate Guenin at even strength and at the point on a power-play unit.
For insurance purposes, the Avalanche recalled Karl Stollery on Friday. The young defenseman was the only healthy scratch against the Wild.
Rough road. The Avs were scheduled to depart for Winnipeg immediately after the Minnesota game and play the Jets in a late-afternoon game Sunday.
Roy noted that this will be the Avalanche’s second back-to-back set that concludes at Winnipeg. Dec. 5, after playing in overtime at Calgary the previous night, the Jets pounded Colorado 6-2.
Stollery might play Sunday as Roy looks for ways to promote fresh bodies. Roy said he will focus on rolling four lines and three defensive pairings in both games to avoid overworking his top players.
The Avalanche will sleep in Sunday morning, with no pregame skate or off-ice workout scheduled.
E.J. update. Defenseman Erik Johnson, the Avs’ only selected all-star who missed the midwinter classic by having minor knee surgery instead, is a little more than two weeks out from the arthro- scopic procedure. Roy said Johnson is swimming daily and working out in the gym, but has not started skating.
The Avalanche originally said Johnson would miss three to eight weeks. Roy said that timetable hasn’t changed.
Footnotes. Since beginning the season 0-2 by losing twice to Minnesota, the Avs entered Saturday at 22-17-11. Over the same stretch, the Wild was 22-20-6. … Minnesota produced a franchise-record 48 shots against the Avs on opening night in St. Paul, and the Wild was on pace Saturday for 51 after producing 17 in the first period.
