Calvin Pickard will protect the net Thursday against the Panthers.

Pickard will protect the net Thursday against the Panthers.

Analysis:

Following a strong outing in relief of Semyon Varlamov on Tuesday, the Avalanche will give the 23-year-old netminder the call again Thursday. He hasn't been spectacular overall this season, but Pickard's splits massively favor home starts (2.00 GAA, .944), so he could still be targeted Thursday in Denver. However, it would be a chancy play against a Panthers club that added two forwards (Teddy Purcell, Jiri Hudler) ahead of the trade deadline.