Semyon Varlamov will start in goal Wednesday against Carolina at the Pepsi Center after a two-game absence in which Reto Berra stopped 73 of 75 shots during the Avalanche's 1-1-0 trip in southern California.
"Reto played really well both games, but Varly is our No. 1 goalie and I think it's time for him (to play)," coach Patrick Roy said Tuesday. "He's been practicing really well. I think he's ready to play a strong game for us."
Varlamov has a 1-2-0 record with a 5.06 goals-against average and .841 save percentage. He was replaced by Berra in last Wednesday's 6-2 loss to Boston after allowing five goals on 19 shots.
The Avalanche assigned right wing Borna Rendulic to San Antonio of the AHL, leaving them with 12 forwards. Roy said there's no plan to bring up an extra forward such as Dennis Everberg, who has three goals and two assists for the 2-0-1 Rampage. Rendulic played the first three Avalanche games on a line with fellow rookie Mikko Rantanen and center Carl Soderberg. He didn't have a point while averaging 7:31 in ice time.
Roy changed three lines Friday against Anaheim and kept them Sunday in Los Angeles. He scratched Rendulic, moved Rantanen to Matt Duchene's line with Jarome Iginla, and put Blake Comeau with Soderberg and John Mitchell, the latter of whom had been centering the fourth line.
Mikhail Grigorenko, a healthy scratch the first three games, is centering the fourth line with Cody McLeod and Jack Skille. Grigorenko averaged 5:55 his first two games and had an assist against Anaheim.
"We just want him to play," Roy said of Rendulic. "We're healthy right now and I was not planning to use him (in this week's two-game homestand). In the worst scenario I was going to use seven defensemen."
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Tyson Barrie has two games remaining on his three-game suspension, leaving Brandon Gormley as the extra defenseman for now. Barrie and Gormley were rapid-firing pucks into an empty net after practice Tuesday. Gormley hit on 29 of 30 during one sequence.
"I want to see Gormley eventually," Roy said. "He's been practicing well and I think eventually we're going to have to have a look at him. He works hard, he has the right attitude out there (and) that's what you want to see from the players who are not playing. I thought his one-on-one battles were really good. I think if we put him in, he will respond well."
I asked Roy if Gormley, who has yet to play after being acquired Sept. 9 from Arizona for Stefan Elliott, is in the same situation that Holden was two years ago. Holden was a healthy scratch the first 11 games in 2013-14 before he played, was scratched for 14 of the following 26 games and played regularly after that starting in mid-January. "I've been using that example to him," Roy said. "Be patient and keep working hard. When your chance will come, jump on it." Based on practice Tuesday, these are the pairings for Wednesday: Francois Beauchemin-Erik Johnson, Nikita Zadorov-Nate Guenin, Holden-Brad Stuart.