Avalanche forward PA Parenteau may get into the lineup sooner than expected, possibly as early as Saturday afternoon when the Buffalo Sabres visit the Pepsi Center for the team's final home game before the NHL shuts down for the Olympics.
That's because Paul Stastny and Alex Tanguay didn't practice Friday and their status won't be known until game time. Stastny sustained an ankle injury in a collision with several players midway through the third period Thursday in the Avalanche's 5-4 win against Minnesota. Tanguay tweaked his knee, also in the third period.
"They're both day to day, Paul and Alex," coach Patrick Roy said. "We'll see (Saturday) morning. They both want to play, but we'll know then if they can play against Buffalo."
Stastny has five goals and nine assists in the past 10 games, with 16 goals and 23 assists in 49 games overall. Tanguay has a goal and an assist in three games since returning from his knee and hip injuries, with four goals and seven assists in 16 games overall. The Avalanche has a 15-1-0 record when he plays.
Regardless of their status, the Avalanche can't afford to take the Sabres lightly despite their 15-30-8 record and 38 points, the lowest total in the NHL. The Sabres still have a goalie, Ryan Miller, who is capable of making life difficult for any team.
Roy made sure to emphasize that in a team meeting after practice.
"He can steal games," Roy said of Miller, who made 38 saves Thursday in the Sabres' 3-2 road win against Phoenix and has gone 8-3-3 in his past 14 decisions. "It's just a matter of respecting these guys. They've been playing better hockey lately. They seem to play better under (coach) Ted Nolan and I think it's going to be important for us to play a good game.
"That's why I was talking to our guys. We have five games left (before the break) and I think it'd be great for us if we could pick up seven of 10 points in that stretch. We have four on the road, which won't be easy as well, and we certainly need a good game (against the Sabres)."
*****
Semyon Varlamov, fresh off signing his five-year, $29.5 million contract extension, will start in goal for the 11th time in the past 12 Avalanche games. He has a 3-0-1 career record against Buffalo with a 2.45 goals-against average.
Roy said the plan is for Jean-Sebastien Giguere to start Monday in New Jersey, with Varlamov playing Tuesday in New York against the Rangers. The Avalanche also will play Philadelphia and the New York Islanders on the trip.
"We'll see after (Tuesday)," Roy said, adding that goalie coach Francois Allaire would arrive in Denver on Saturday to discuss their options. "I told Jiggy about it and I said it could change, but as we speak that's what I would like to do."
*****
When the Avalanche acquired Max Talbot from Philadelphia in exchange for Steve Downie on Oct. 31, it was mainly to provide a strong penalty killer and more veteran leadership from a player with a Stanley Cup championship on his resume.
It took a while, but Talbot has emerged as an effective offensive player. He had one goal and one assist in 11 games at the time of the trade but has collected two goals and six assists in the past nine games.
Talbot has five goals and 12 assists in 42 games with the Avalanche, while Downie has two goals and 11 assists in 35 games with the Flyers. With six goals and 13 assists in 53 games overall, Talbot has more goals than Downie, who has three goals and 17 assists in 46 games for the season.
"Max is playing very well for us," Roy said. "We got him, first of all, because he's a great PK guy. We knew he could score. In junior he put a lot of points on the board. Am I surprised to see him putting points on the board again? No, I'm not."
The Talbot-Nathan MacKinnon-John Mitchell line accounted for three goals, two assists and nine shots against the Wild on Thursday. Each member of the line scored a goal.
"That line was outstanding," Roy said. "I'm not sure, but it was almost the best line. They were buzzing. I thought they moved the puck well. It's a good third line. They were fun to watch. Maxime has been outstanding since he's been here. I knew it took him a bit of time to score his first goal, but he's playing with a lot of confidence. It was nice to see him rewarded on that goal, going to the net."
Talbot scored a career-high 19 goals for the Flyers in 2011-12. He scored both goals in the Pittsburgh Penguins' Game 7 Cup-clinching 2-1 win against Detroit in 2009, and he has 18 goals and 21 assists in 77 career playoff games.
"If you look at my playoff stats I have a half a point a game," he said. "But Nate is playing so solid lately and Mitchie is having a great season. I feel like we're creating stuff out there. I'm playing my role, playing defensively, and trying to contribute (on offense). It's fun to be part of the scoreboard, but it's fun to win as well. Right now we're doing both, so it's good. I think there's more to come. The chemistry has been better every game. Playing with Nate ... who wouldn't like that?"