Fourth-year Avalanche coach Jared Bednar no longer announces his starting goaltender the day before a game, but on Friday he said there is a “good possibility” Pavel Francouz will make his first career NHL start Saturday when Colorado hosts the Arizona Coyotes to conclude a four-game homestand.
Clear-cut No. 1 goalie Philipp Grubauer has had an excellent start for the 3-0 Avs, pitching third-period shutouts in each game, including Thursday’s 4-2 triumph over Boston, the defending Eastern Conference champion. But Bednar doesn’t want to wait until Week 3 for Francouz, 29, to make his first appearance of the season and just the third of his career.