Varlamov’s 57-Save Performance
The Carolina Hurricanes were not a good team this season. They finished #20 in the NHL with a 37-.5-10 record. Their goal differential was -30. They should not have had free rein with the Colorado Avalanche, even early in the season.
Well, the Carolina Hurricanes did not have free rein with the Avalanche in their November 2, game thanks mostly to Semyon Varlamov. The Hurricanes, who were 4-5-2 at the time, fired a barrage of shots at Varlamov. Semyon stopped all but three — that’s a save percentage of .950. Impressive.
It should come as no surprise that Varlamov was first star of the night for this game, too.
Here are the highlights of that impressive game:
His save against Jordan Staal was especially impressive:
Those 57 saves were a career high for Varlamov. Those 57 saves in a regular-season game are also the most saves by an Avalanche goalie since the team moved to Colorado.
Semyon Varlamov is in the final year of his five-year contract. It’s probably the 30-year-old’s final year with the Colorado Avalanche. The team is committed to a youth movement, and they signed 26-year-old goalie Philipp Grubauer this summer.
Varlamov has been a goalie that I’ve shook my fist at sometimes. However, when he’s dialed in, he’s a force to be reckoned with. These five games represent just some of the ways that he’s contributed to the Avs.