DENVER -- Semyon Varlamov, fresh off signing a five-year, $29.5 million contract extension, will start in goal Saturday when the Colorado Avalanche face the Buffalo Sabres at Pepsi Center. Varlamov went 10-1-1 in January, a franchise record for the month.
Center Paul Stastny and right wing Alex Tanguay will be game-time decisions. Stastny sustained an ankle injury in a collision with several players in the third period Thursday in the Avalanche's 5-4 win against the Minnesota Wild. Tanguay tweaked his knee in the third period.
Ryan Miller is expected to start in goal for the Sabres. Miller made 38 saves Thursday when the Sabres defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 and has gone 8-3-3 in his past 14 decisions. Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff missed that game with an illness but could be back in the lineup Saturday.
Here are the projected lineups:
SABRES
Brian Flynn - Tyler Ennis - Zemgus Girgensons
Ville Leino - Cody Hodgson - Steve Ott
Marcus Foligno - Philip Varone - Matt D'Agostini
Matt Ellis - Zenon Konopka - Linus Omark
Alexander Sulzer - Henrik Tallinder
Chad Ruhwedel - Christian Ehrhoff
Scratched: John Scott, Jamie McBain
Injured: Matt Moulson (upper body), Drew Stafford (upper body), Cody McCormick (upper body).
AVALANCHE
Ryan O'Reilly - Matt Duchene - Jamie McGinn
Gabriel Landeskog - Paul Stastny - Alex Tanguay
Maxime Talbot - Nathan MacKinnon - John Mitchell
Cody McLeod - Marc-Andre Cliche - Patrick Bordeleau
Scratched: PA Parenteau, Ryan Wilson
Injured: Cory Sarich (back), David Van Der Gulik (head)