Eurolanche

Avs goaltending in flux vs. Canadiens

Season series: The Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens split two games in 2013-14, each winning on home ice. Avalanche coach Patrick Roy, who led the Canadiens to their most recent Stanley Cup titles in 1986 and 1993, was dealt a 6-3 loss on March 18 in his return to Montreal. Nathan MacKinnon scored a goal in each game for Colorado.

Avalanche team scope: Roy isn't expected to strap on the pads Saturday, but the goaltending situation in Colorado suddenly has become a tenuous one. Starter Semyon Varlamov was placed on injured reserve Thursday with a groin issue, and that same day backup Reto Berra was knocked from a game against the Ottawa Senators at 2:46 of the first period after a goalmouth collision. Calvin Pickard, in his NHL debut, ended up playing most of the 5-3 loss; Sami Aittokallio was recalled from Lake Erie of the American Hockey League on Friday. Berra sustained a neck injury, according to the Denver Post. He didn't practice Friday and is questionable to play Saturday. If he can't go, Roy said Pickard will make his first NHL start.

Canadiens team scope: Carey Price will start in goal Saturday, coach Michel Therrien said Friday. In four career games against Colorado he's 1-2-1 with a 3.47 goals-against average and .872 save percentage. Price has won three of four games this season, but carries a 3.75 GAA and .874 save percentage. Defenseman Andrei Markov was absent from practice Friday because of a maintenance day; Nathan Beaulieu took his place. This game will be the first time forward Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau will play his former teammates; the Avalanche traded him to Montreal during the summer for Daniel Briere. "It doesn't really matter for me," Parenteau said in a video posted on the Canadiens website. "I turned the page a couple months ago when I got traded. It's a new chapter for me in my life. … I want to move forward. I'm a Hab now."

-by Brian Hunter for NHL-