Wow, just wow,
Adam Werner.
The 22-year-old Avalanche goalie, a virtual unknown, on Tuesday showed he just may have a future in the NHL.
Talk about a smashing debut.
Pressed into action 31 seconds into the first period when
Pavel Francouz left with what is being called a head injury, Werner stopped all 40 shots he faced in a 4-0 win in Winnipeg to kick off a five-game road trip.
WERNER WOWS
“I’m really happy for the kid,” coach
Jared Bednar told reporters. “He’s been up here working, excited to be here and he gets thrown into the game early and then to have the performance he had.”
Werner was summoned from the Colorado Eagles last Thursday when No. 1 goalie
Philipp Grubauer went on the shelf with a lower-body injury.
“You need to have a dream, and a big dream out there, and work for it and be prepared if something happened,” said Werner, the Avalanche’s fifth-round pick (No. 131) in the 2016 NHL draft.
Francouz, who was making his third consecutive start, was lying on his back near the dislodged net after being driven to the ice by Jets forward Mark Scheifele, who had skated hard to the net with defenseman
Samuel Girard draped on him.
Scheifele was assessed a goalie interference penalty and Werner entered the game after Francouz was helped to the locker room by trainer
Matt Sokolowski.
Werner, a 6-foot-5, 205-pounder from Mariestad, Sweden, made one big save after another, and he received more than enough offensive support from
Nathan MacKinnon (two goals, two assists),
Joonas Donskoi (one goal, two assists) and
Cale Makar (a goal to stretch his point streak to four games).
“Their guy made a bunch of good saves,” Jets coach
Paul Maurice said. “We had a bunch of good chances that didn’t go for us.”
Needing an emergency backup, former University of Manitoba goalie
Byron Spriggs put on an Avalanche uniform and equipment. Wearing No. 60, he watched from the end of the tunnel leading to the Colorado locker room.
The Avalanche have recalled goalie
Antoine Bibeau from the AHL Eagles, and he’ll join the team in Edmonton for Thursday’s game. Bibeau, 25, was acquired Sept. 27 from the San Jose Sharks for
Nicolas Meloche. Bibeau played two games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016-17.
Grubauer practiced Wednesday, but he may not be ready to play.
The Avalanche had called up defenseman
Kevin Connauton and forward
Logan O'Connor, but O’Connor was reassigned to the Eagles to make room for Bibeau.
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • 
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