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Pickard starts, Berra backs up
Having gone 8-3-0 in their last 11, the Avs are on the fringe of playoff contention and -- with a win against Los Angeles and a Jets regulation loss in St. Louis tonight -- would be just five points back of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.
As such, Patrick Roy is replacing injured No. 1 netminder with AHL recall Calvin Pickard, rather than backup Reto Berra.
“It’s very simple. Reto’s been practicing really well and the three games he came in for relief he did a good job for us, but he hasn’t started a game since Nov. 25,” Roy explained, per the Denver Post. “It’d be unfair to put him in a situation like this, such an important game for us.
“All the games Calvin played for us, he played really well. He’s one of the reasons why we’re in the position today of still having a chance to make the playoffs.”
Pickard, 22, is 6-6-3 this year for Colorado, posting a .936 save percentage and 2.18 GAA. Berra, who has spent most of the season in Roy’s doghouse, had a couple of decent relief outings in February -- stopping 22 of 23 shots against the Coyotes and Predators -- but didn’t look great in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Minnesota, allowing one goal on four shots after Varlamov left with a lower-body injury.
No word yet on who’ll start for the Kings tonight.
Elsewhere...
Rangers at Isles: Cam Talbot vs. Jaroslav Halak
Stars at Flyers: Kari Lehtonen (probable) vs. Steve Mason
Jackets at ‘Canes: Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Cam Ward
Bolts at Habs: Ben Bishop vs. Carey Price
Bruins at Sens: Tuukka Rask vs. Craig Anderson
Jets at Blues: Michael Hutchinson vs. Brian Elliott
Devils at Wild: Cory Schneider vs. Devan Dubnyk