Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 41 saves against the Blackhawks on Friday in his ninth consecutive start and has won his last three games, recording a 1.34 goals-against average and .964 save percentage in that time.
Colorado did not hold a morning skate on Saturday so the club's exact lineup and starting goalie likely won't be known until closer to game time, but Philipp Grubauer could possibly get the nod in net against the Predators.
Avs head coach Jared Bednar said prior to the club leaving for the two-game road trip that both keepers could see action. Grubauer last played on Feb. 12 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"We'll watch how [Friday] goes," Bednar said following Thursday's practice in Denver. "There is a chance that we get both of these guys in there this weekend. It's a good time for it."
This will be the Avalanche's ninth back-to-back set of the season, where it has a 4-3-2 record in the first game and 3-3-2 in the second. Colorado plays a total of 11 such consecutive-day outings this year. The Avs will skate in an afternoon contest (5 p.m. local start time or earlier) for the ninth time as well.
Below is the Avalanche's projected lineup based on the forward combinations and defensive pairings at the start of Friday's game at Chicago. They are subject to change.
