Defenseman Mark Barberio will make his season debut Thursday when the Avalanche play Boston at the Pepsi Center in the third game of the four-game homestand.
The GAME NOTES.
Defenseman Ian Cole has made a remarkable recovery after undergoing surgery on both hips in the offseason, taking part in two contact practices this week, but coach Jared Bednar wants to see him practice at least one more time before putting him in the lineup.
It’s possible Cole could play Saturday against Arizona.
No further word on center J.T. Compher, who is out with a lower-body injury.
Barberio, a healthy scratch the first two games, missed 41 games last year with various injuries.
“It was a pretty vicious cycle last year,… he said. “I think every season is its own story and for me I’m just excited to get a chance to put last year behind me. It was one of those years where I couldn’t catch a break.
“You don’t think you’re going to get three separate injuries in one season, so it was tough. You use the summer to forget about it, come back in top shape and come back healthy, which is most important.…
Despite the difficult season, Barberio managed to maintain a positive attitude.
“It beats the opposite, right?… he said. “I’ve always been that way. I’ve always tried to stay positive. Last year I’d say it was hard to (do that); I’m not a negative person, but I was definitely in a tough place when I had to deal with all those injuries. You want to be available to help your team.…
The Avalanche lineup:
FORWARDS Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen Joonas Donskoi -- Nazem Kadri – Andre Burakovsky Matt Nieto – Tyson Jost – Colin Wilson Matt Calvert -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare -- Valeri Nichushkin
DEFENSE Samuel Girard -- Erik Johnson Nikita Zadorov -- Cale Makar Ryan Graves – Mark Barberio
GOALIES Philipp Grubauer Pavel Francouz