DENVER – Corey Crawford will start and Viktor Svedberg will play when the Blackhawks face the Colorado Avalanche tonight at the Pepsi Center.
Svedberg was recalled on Tuesday morning. Michal Rozsival (lower body) skated on Tuesday but will not play tonight. Coach Joel Quenneville said Rozsival is, “close; hopefully ready for the next game.”
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As the NHL returns to action following the All-Star break, the Blackhawks are looking to get back on track after losing three of four entering the break. They’ll be doing it without Jonathan Toews, who was suspended a game for not attending the All-Star weekend due to illness. Toews will meet the team in Arizona. That opens an opportunity for Teuvo Teravainen, who will center that top line with Andrew Shaw and Marian Hossa.
“We like that versatility; having multiple roles enhances your ice time and the quality of your ice time,” Quenneville said of Teravainen. “He’s absorbing some penalty killing situations and now with Jonny being out, he gets more in that situation right off the bat. Playing with those guys you’ll get more ice time, left, center and right.”
For the Avalanche, Calvin Pickard is expected to start. Coach Patrick Roy said he expected Semyon Varlamov to back up Pickard tonight. The Avs, who won five of six entering the break, aren’t going to alter their mindset against the Toews-less Blackhawks.
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“It doesn’t change anything for us. That’s a very good hockey club,” Roy said. “This is a team with a lot of depth. Obviously they won the [Stanley] Cup last year for a reason.”