Avalanche's Calvin Pickard: Gets starting nod Thursday

Pickard will start in the crease for Thursday's road game against the Sabres, The Denver Post reports.

Analysis:

After dropping three straight contests in a span of allowing 11 goals on 91 combined shots, Pickard gave way to Jeremy Smith for his NHL debut Tuesday; he couldn't get the Avs on the winning track, though his start was chock-full of brilliant moments on the way to a .925 save percentage. This latest report indicates that Smith could get another look as soon as Friday night in Carolina, but first, Pickard and Co. will set their sights on a Sabres squad that ranks 27th in the league with 2.41 goals per game at home.