Avalanche defenseman
Tyson Barrie apparently impressed coach
Patrick Roy so much Tuesday against Chicago that
Matt Hunwick has been sent back to the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.
That leaves the Avalanche with 22 players on the roster -- one under the limit. Center
Matt Duchene is out with an oblique injury but not on the injured list. He didn't accompany the team for the two-game road trip that starts Thursday night against Phoenix and concludes Saturday in Los Angeles.
The Hunwick move is interesting in that Roy has been saying since Day One that he prefers to keep eight defensemen for practice purposes. There are seven now, and
Nick Holden will be scratched for the game with the Coyotes. Hunwick's demotion could be a signal that
Ryan Wilson, who hurt his back Nov. 6 against Nashville, is getting close to coming off IR. The Avalanche has three off days after playing the Kings before meeting St. Louis at the Pepsi Center on Wednesday.
Barrie had two assists, three shots on goal, two hits, one blocked shot and he was plus-2 in 18:45 of ice time against the Blackhawks, his first game after being summoned from Lake Erie.
"I was very happy with his attitude," Roy said. "I thought he managed his game maybe a couple times where he could have made different plays, but overall I think he managed his game really well. I was very pleased with the way he played. He was named (third) star of the game and he certainly deserved it."
Barrie looked like a different player than the one who played in five earlier games with the Avalanche. He was sent to Lake Erie on Nov. 4 after being a healthy scratch for eight of nine games. He had three assists in six games with the Monsters and was recalled last Sunday.
"One thing I appreciate is his speed," Roy said. "I saw a big difference for some reason. I thought he was skating well and rushing the puck well. He made a nice shot on net (before
Cody McLeod tapped in the rebound in the third period). I thought he kept his game a little more simple. At the beginning (of the season), he was trying to impress everybody maybe. Now he was making little chip outs and was taking a hit and giving some hits. I was very happy with his game."
Barrie will need to continue to play the same way to stay with the Avalanche, and it would be even more beneficial if he can turn into an effective power-play quarterback.
"It's always disappointing to get sent down, but getting back up and getting a chance to be in the lineup was really exciting," Barrie said. "I was playing a lot (in Lake Erie). I wasn't playing up here and I'm still a young guy and I don't think I should be sitting in the stands. They sent me down to play some games and I played a lot of minutes and started to feel really good. I know I belong here and this time I just want to play and show these guys that I do belong."
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Semyon Varlamov will start in goal for the Avalanche. He has a 2-4-1 record in seven career games against the Coyotes with a 3.39 goals-against average and .881 save percentage.
Mike Smith will start in goal for the Coyotes. He covers a lot of net with his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame and has gone 8-1-2 in 11 career games against the Avalanche with one shutout, a 1.66 goals-against average and .947 save percentage.
"They're really well coached," Roy said of the Coyotes, who are 9-0-1 at home. "
Dave Tippett is one of the best coaches in our league. He does a really good job with that group. Phoenix is doing things different than a lot of teams. They're not afraid to go to the net and they're playing well defensively and their goalie has been hot. That's a pretty good recipe for success."
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FYI: Here's a
Jan Hejda story I did for NHL.com earlier this week.
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The Avalanche lineup for Thursday:
FORWARDS
Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Ryan O'Reilly
Jamie McGinn -- Paul Stastny -- PA Parenteau
Cody McLeod -- John Mitchell -- Max Talbot
Brad Malone -- Marc-Andre-Cliche -- Patrick Bordeleau
DEFENSE
Erik Johnson -- Jan Hejda
Tyson Barrie -- Cory Sarich
Andre Benoit -- Nate Guenin
GOALIES
Semyon Varlamov
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • 
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