SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Calvin Pickard won't be earning the NHL's first star of the week honors any time soon, but he held his own in place of Semyon Varlamov on Monday, helping the Avalanche grab their ninth win in the month of December.
Pickard, who was making his first start of the season to give last week's first star a breather, made 35 saves in the understudy role leading the Avalanche to a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center.
The 23-year-old goalie, who's currently serving as Varlamov's backup while Reto Berra recovers from an ankle injury, entered the contest having surrendered four goals on 25 shots in two appearances with the Avalanche this season.