Colorado Avalanche

Pickard starts, Nieto says he's a go; Avs prospects ready to face off
March 17, 2017, 2:39 PM ET [5 Comments]
Rick Sadowski
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Calvin Pickard will start and forward Matt Nieto said he expects to play Saturday when the Avalanche meet Detroit for the final time at venerable Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings' home since 1979.

The Red Wings will move into a new building, Little Caesars Arena, next season.

Doesn't exactly have the same ring to it as "The Joe," does it?

Pickard made 27 saves Wednesday in the Avalanche's 3-1 win against the Red Wings at the Pepsi Center. He's allowed two goals or fewer in six of his past eight starts, including a 1-0 loss at Arizona on Monday.

Nieto didn't play Wednesday after hurting his knee against the Coyotes.

"I tried skating the morning of the game against the Wings there but didn't feel good enough to go in that game," he told reporters after taking part in the full practice Friday. "The extra day of rest definitely helped, and I'll be ready for tomorrow."

Coach Jared Bednar said he considered starting backup goalie Jeremy Smith, who is from Dearborn, Mich.

"I did, but 'Pick' did such a good job now in back-to-back games for me," he said. "I thought that his Arizona game, that was a good hard-fought game. There were quite a few scoring chances each way. We didn't capitalize on ours, and I thought 'Pick' did a great job, looked athletic in net. He kept us in that game because we were unable to score, and he gave us a chance.

"Then to come out the other night and kind of follow up his performance against the Wings. Now playing him again, I just feel like we have to go back with him."

Smith will be happy just to be back in the arena.

"Growing up watching the Wings win back-to-back Stanley Cups there as a child, it was great," he told reporters. "It kind of reflects the city. There's so much character there. It's weathered the storm and everything, so it's pretty cool."

Bednar's first game against Detroit on Wednesday was his first, of course. Saturday's game at "The Joe" will be his first and last.

"There's a lot of history to the rivalry," he said. "I think we saw a little taste of that in the stands the other night. It's going to be a fun game. It's back-to-back, so there's already a little bit of familiarity coming into this week. So I think it's going to be a good game."

*****

Two potential future Avalanche players will face off Friday in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference semifinals at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

University of Denver defenseman Will Butcher, who has been named the NCHC Player of the Year, leads the top-ranked Pioneers (28-6-4) against North Dakota (20-14-3) and forward Tyson Jost, who made the all-rookie team.

Butcher, 22, was the Avalanche's fifth-round pick (No. 123) in the 2013 NHL draft. Jost, who turned 19 on Tuesday, was Colorado's first-round pick (No. 10) in 2016.

Butcher, who is generously listed as 5-feet-10 and 190 pounds, is a senior and team captain. He's one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which goes to the NCAA's top player.

The Madison, Wisc., native is the nation's second-leading scorer among defensemen with 35 points (six goals, 29 assists) in 38 games. He has 18 penalty minutes and a plus-23 rating for the Pioneers, who have won 13 consecutive games.

The 5-11, 191-pound Jost, a freshman, is the Fighting Hawks' second-leading scorer with 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) in 30 games. The Kelowna, B.C. native has 40 penalty minutes and is plus-18.