Just as he did the last time out, on Tuesday night Semyon Varlamov let only one shot get past him. Varlamov made 44 saves Sunday in a frustrating loss to Boston, as the Avalanche failed to score for the fourth time in 14 games. Against the Los Angeles Kings, however, the offense started to wake up.
Colorado skated to a 4-1 victory behind another strong performance by Varlamov. The Russian stopped 32 shots, saying postgame, “The team played well in front of me. When the guys score lots of goals it gives you more confidence.”
Patrick Wiercioch and Rene Bourque scored 22 seconds apart early in the second period, and that was all Colorado would need for the win. Gabriel Landeskog and Blake Comeau also scored for Colorado, providing a much-needed boost to the team’s confidence on offense. It was the first time in 12 games that Colorado scored more than three goals.
Matt Duchene was held out of the lineup again with a head injury. He did participate in the morning skate and will travel with the team on its upcoming three-game road trip with hopes of playing. Colorado returns to action Thursday in Dallas.