Is Colorado Avalanche Goalie Semyon Varlamov Slumping?

Talk about the Colorado Avalanche and their problems, and you’ll hear about scoring woes and shot differentials. You may even bring up the topic of defense and how hindered it is with Erik Johnson’s absence and, you know, in general. Bring up the topic of goal tending, though, and you hear nothing but praise for Semyon Varlamov.

That’s with good reason. By all accounts, Varlamov was the team’s MVP last year. It’s been said so much that it’s become cliche, but Varlamov kept the Avalanche in a lot of games. For that, he was even a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for goal tending.

To be sure, Varlamov has kept the Avalanche in games this season as well. That January game against the Chicago Blackhawks comes to mind when he faced 54 shots — and stopped them all.

However, that’s not the Semyon Varlamov that’s been in net for the Avalanche recently. He’s made some big saves to be sure. However, he’s also let in some soft goals.

I’ll even go so far as to say he’s cost the Avalanchea a couple games.

Now put your pitchforks down. I know it’s generally not allowed to speak against the sacred Varlamov. However, by the player’s own admission, he didn’t alway played his best in the all-important February games.

In fact, Varlamov recorded average numbers in the mid February games against the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets. He recorded a .833 and .828 save percentage in those games, allowing five goals in each. It’s hard to win games when a goalie is recording those numbers.

What’s especially frustrating about those two games is that the Avalanche scored three goals in each. In this season of scoring difficulties, when the team manages three goals, they need that Vezina finalist goalie in net. Especially when the Avs limited the shots to under 30 in both.

After those games, Varlamov stated that he had a conference with goalie coach Francois Allaire. His game improved markedly against the Dallas Stars.

However, the improvement was short-lived. Already in the game against the Phoenix Coyotes, his save percentage was back in the 80s, and it has stayed there for five of the next seven games. In that time the Avs have won four and lost three. They’ve been playing well, and lost a couple games they should have won.

They lost because an opponent goalie flat out-played Varlamov. That was the case with the LA Kings’ Jonathan Quick. Sadly, that was also the case with the Minnesota Wild’s Devan Dubnyk. In both those cases, the goalies faced more and better shots, but they won the game for their teams.

I can’t say Varlamov lost those games for the Avalanche. However… Varlamov let in three goals on just 25 shots against the Kings. Yes, the Avs only scored one goal, the Kings are the defending Stanley Cup champs… Maybe the Avs never had a chance.

The Minnesota game was the heartbreaker. The Avalanche had been unable to score against the Wild in three games, and they finally managed to get on the scoreboard on a flukey goal. Not pretty, but we’ll take it.

That was just the game-tying goal, though, because Minnesota forward Erik Haula, had already scored on Varlamov. Varlamov thought he had the net sealed tight, but he didn’t.

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