Ben Street was called up from the minors Monday to replace Avalanche center John Mitchell, who will miss Tuesday’s game against the visiting Calgary Flames because of an oblique injury.
The Avs didn’t practice Monday but had a morning skate at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday, when media learned of Mitchell’s injury. Street is on an offensive tear with the San Antonio Rampage, producing 12 points (three goals) in just six games.
He will center a line with left winger Dennis Everberg and Jack Skille on the right side. Street and Skille joined the University of Wisconsin together in 2006 and helped lead the Badgers to the 2007 NCAA championship as freshmen. They played well together in training camp.
From the advice of assistant general manager Craig Billington and San Antonio coach Dean Chynoweth, Avs coach Patrick Roy said Street was the most deserving Rampage player to be called up.
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“When I spoke to Dean and Biller about who’s hot in San Antonio, the first (guy) that came up was Ben Street. They said he was their best player,” Roy said. “(Left wing Andrew) Agozzino has been playing really well. Unfortunately for Andrew he hurt his shoulder. Right now, we need a center and that’s the reason why we called (Street) up.”
Agozzino has nine points (team-high five goals) in just four games for San Antonio.
Street and Everberg played together in San Antonio to begin the AHL season.
“No secret. Just trying to play the right way,” Street said of his hot offensive start. “Obviously, the bounces have been going OK for me and the line and has been going pretty good.”
Street was centering Agozzino and right wing Mikko Rantanen in San Antonio since Everberg was recalled five games ago, replacing the 19-year-old Rantanen.
Footnotes
Defensemen Nate Guenin and Nikita Zadorov will be Colorado’s healthy scratches. Zadorov, a primary return piece of the Ryan O’Reilly trade to Buffalo in June, is sitting for the second straight game after playing in the first 10. Roy said he wants Zadorov, 20, to develop by watching as much as playing. “I said all along we’re going to use our eight Ds, and that’s what we’ve been doing,” Roy said. “Z is a long-term project for us.” … Calvin Pickard, who was the Avs’ best statistical goalie last season, was named AHL goaltender of the month for October. Pickard, 23, went 5-0-1 with a 1.79 goals-against average and .946 save percentage with the San Antonio Rampage last month. … True center Matt Duchene, who has just three points (one goal) in 11 games, will continue to play right wing at times on a line with center Carl Soderberg and left wing Gabe Landeskog. “There’s times where Dutchy is going to take the faceoff,” Roy said. “With the way it is now in the game, the tracking — who’s first is first (on the backcheck and forecheck) — and it should not be an issue.” In laymen’s terms, Duchene and Soderberg will adjust on the fly as to who has defensive-zone responsibilities, including the breakout. Offensively, they are interchangeable once the forecheck has been established.
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or @mikechambers
