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Duchene won't make Avs' trip |
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Rick Sadowski
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Avalanche center Matt Duchene won't be making the team's two-game trip to Phoenix and Los Angeles after all. After he skated before practice Wednesday, the decision was made to keep him home and allow more time for his oblique injury to get better.
The Avalanche plays the Coyotes on Thursday and the Kings on Saturday.
"He wanted to play (Thursday), actually, but he realized there was no way he could," coach Patrick Roy said. "I don't see rushing on this injury, take the time. We need him 100 hundred percent. Maybe if he was 85 percent, even if he would be a great player for us at that level, I think it is important for him to make sure that he takes care of himself and be 100 percent when he comes back."
Duchene, who was injured last Saturday in the Avalanche's 4-1 loss to Florida, leads the team in scoring with 12 goals and 20 points in 19 games.
The Avalanche doesn't play again until next Wednesday, against St. Louis at the Pepsi Center, after this road trip.
Semyon Varlamov will start in goal Thursday after making 36 saves Tuesday in the Avalanche's 5-1 win against Chicago.
The only lineup change: defenseman Cory Sarich, who was a healthy scratch Tuesday, will replace Nick Holden, who had six hits and was plus-2 in 19:19 of ice time against the Blackhawks.
Roy said before the Chicago game that Sarich, 35, would get the night off but would return to play against Phoenix.
"I said to (Holden), 'You played outstanding against Chicago,' " Roy said. "I'm not taking him out because he played bad. He probably played his best game of the year. But, unfortunately, sometimes we have to make decisions as coaches and we made one there.
"I'm very happy with him. He knew the role that he was going to play. I thought he was OK against Florida, but against Chicago he probably played his best game of the year."
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