Every time Semyon Varlamov‘s troubling groin-muscle issue flairs up or the former Vezina Trophy finalist takes a scheduled night off, Calvin Pickard is out to prove he is the Avalanche’s goaltender of the future. Mission accomplished, for the most part. But then all of a sudden, second-year pro Spencer Martin comes in and gets consecutive starts — the first two starts of his NHL career — and Pickard, 24, is again relegated to the backup on the bench.
Good thing Pickard is of the belief that everything happens for a reason. Being the great teammate that he is, Pickard has no qualms with the 21-year-old Martin getting another start Monday against the visiting San Jose Sharks, who beat the Avs 3-2 in overtime on Saturday.