Colorado Avalanche: 5 Keys for the Four-Game Home Stand

DENVER, CO - APRIL 16: Members of the Colorado Avalanche congratulate Colorado Avalanche goalie Jonathan Bernier (45) following a win after a first round playoff game between the Colorado Avalanche and the visiting Nashville Predators on April 16, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. (Photo by Russell Lansford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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ST. PAUL, MN – MARCH 13: Semyon Varlamov #1 of the Colorado Avalanche waits for play to resume during a break in the game against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center on March 13, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Goalie Redemption

The Colorado Avalanche have a goalie controversy. It’s a controversy teams such as the Calgary Flames or Arizona Coyotes would like to have. The Avs have two good goalies.

Unfortunately, both goalies have some egg on their faces after some recent play. While GM Joe Sakic has stated that the Avs have two number-one goalies, we know that Semyon Varlamov is the natural starter. The devil you know and all that.

Well, Varlamov is the kind of goalie who can win games the Avalanche have no business winning. He’s also the kind of goalie who can lose games the team should have otherwise won.

As for Philipp Grubauer… more than a third of the season into this year, we’re still not really sure what kind of goalie he is. Is he a true starting goalie? Well, we all hope so — after this season, that’s what he’s supposed to be.

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