Semyon Varlamov gets the start for the Avalanche, a team desperately in need of some regulation wins. Varlamov was picked apart in a 5-2 loss to the Jets back on Sunday night, a game where he stopped just 20 of 25 shots.

Tonight’s game starts at 7:00p MST on the NBC Sports Network, so I hope to see some of you reading along during tonight’s game. Regardless of whether or not Quick or Bernier starts this game, it’s going to be a great matchup as both teams fight for one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference!

Cheverie has spent most of this season with the Gwinnett Gladiators, Phoenix’s ECHL affiliate. In 15 games, he has a 4-3-8 record with a 2.99 goals-against average and .904 save percentage. Yes, it has been quite a frustrating run, as he has more overtime losses (six in OT, two in the shootout) than regulation wins and losses combined.

But now that he’s playing in a tandem with Justin Pogge, “Chevy” has the opportunity to step up, elevate his role, and showcase his potential to scouts around the AHL. His future may not be bright within the Coyotes organization, but as long as they stand pat with Pogge, Cheverie has a chance to gain some crucial exposure as the season comes to a close.

From Oct. 28 to Dec. 20, eight of Cheverie’s 10 games in the ECHL resulted in an OT or shootout loss. He suffered three OT losses and two shootout losses in five straight games from Oct. 28 to Nov. 26, won his next game on Nov. 30, then proceeded to lose three of his next four games (0-1-3) in OT.

In January, Cheverie stopped 63 of 68 shots (.926 SV%) in two games (1-1-0), but was recalled to Portland before the month ended when McElhinney suffered an injury and underwent abdominal surgery. On Feb. 11, Marc finally earned his first start of the season with the Pirates, but lost another game in OT (4-3) to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, stopping 24 of 28 shots.

The Coyotes could acquire another third-stringer in case they want more reliable depth for a playoff run, as Pogge is not the best candidate out there. So if Cheverie plays well over the next few weeks, he’ll earn an opportunity to raise his stock — an opportunity he otherwise wouldn’t have received if McElhinney was still in the mix.

Since the recall, Cheverie has appeared in five games, but has not acclimated to his new role with the Pirates. He has stopped just 99 of 115 shots in five appearances this month, and his only win was a 32-save effort on Feb. 15 against the Worcester Sharks. Two of his five appearances were in relief of Pogge, and his most recent start (Feb. 18) resulted in five goals on 24 shots, and he was replaced by Pogge halfway through the second period.

I feel that Cheverie has hidden talent as a long-term prospect. He is extremely intelligent both on and off the ice (graduated from DU in just three years), and has terrific footwork. Most NCAA products have to work extremely hard to rise from the ECHL ranks, but if given the opportunity to develop and play a quality number of games, I still think Cheverie has a little bit of NHL upside.

Cheverie, a Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native, was a seventh-round draft pick by the Panthers in 2006. He played three seasons at the University of Denver, and his final season (2009-10) was his most impressive. He posted a 24-6-3 record, a 2.08 GAA, a .932 SV%, and six shutouts. He was named a Hobey Baker Award Top-10 finalist, a Reebok First-Team West All-American, and the Inside College Hockey Goaltender of the Year.

—[ MCELHINNEY EXIT MAKES ROOM FOR VISENTIN ]—

Cheverie’s future with the Coyotes is on thin ice due to the inevitable arrival of both Mark Visentin and Louis Domingue, two junior prospects that turn 20 in August and March respectively. They’re both currently under entry-level contracts with Phoenix, thus likely to turn pro after this season ends.

It’s safe to assume that Visentin will likely earn a spot in the AHL next season. He has very good upside, is currently ranked 36th overall in my Top-150 Prospects Rankings (up from 40th in January), and is currently putting together one of the most remarkable OHL runs I’ve ever witnessed from afar.

Since returning to Niagara after the 2012 World Junior Championships with a Bronze Medal, Visentin has been playing mind-boggling hockey; he hasn’t lost a game yet.

In fact, he just led the Ice Dogs to a 3-0 win over Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday night, earning his 10th shutout of the season, breaking an Ontario Hockey League mark held for over half a century by Len Broderick (1956-57) and the great Glenn Hall (1950-51).

That win last Saturday night was Visentin’s 14th in a row since the World Juniors. Amazingly, he has allowed just 15 goals in that span, earning six of his 10 shutouts. All of this has come in just 35 games played this season. It’s the type of story we’re likely to never hear of again.

Domingue, on the other hand, has really struggled with the Remparts over the past few months. He has been so inconsistent that Francois Brassard, a highly-touted draft-eligible prospect, has taken over the new #1 role for Patrick Roy’s QMJHL club.

Domingue was 7-2-0 in November with a 2.34 GAA and .928 SV%, numbers that were expected of him in his final QMJHL season. December was not as kind, as he went just 3-2-1 with a 2.63 GAA and .888 SV%. January was when things started to unravel, as he went 3-3-1, but stopped just 230 of 262 shots, equaling a weak 3.98 GAA and .878 SV%.

In February, Brassard has taken over the starter’s role, but Domingue did fight back with a 27-save shutout over Moncton back on Feb. 18. It was his third appearance in February, and his third shutout of the season, his first since Oct. 28.

—[ CLOSING THOUGHTS ON THE MCELHINNEY TRADE ]—

– Even though Cheverie’s role in the Coyotes organization could be stamped out due to the arrival of Visentin and Domingue (likely headed to the ECHL), this current stretch of hockey is still an opportunity for Cheverie to prove he’s capable of being a solid AHL goaltender.

– If the Coyotes choose to go in another direction, Cheverie’s play for the remainder of the season will certainly open doors for him elsewhere. Phoenix is full of younger talent in goal, so it will be interesting to see how their depth chart is revamped between now and the end of the summer.

– For the Blue Jackets, there’s no future with McElhinney, and I think most people understand that. He’s 29 years old, and even after shutting out the Avalanche in Denver last season with the Ducks, I regarded him as a “below average” NHL goaltender. His rights have been passed around from Calgary to Anaheim to Tampa Bay to Ottawa to Phoenix and now to Columbus, in just a few seasons.

– There is no timetable for McElhinney’s return, but if he does get healthy, he would be a filler for the pending absence of Curtis Sanford, who continues to rest off the ice due to back issues. If McElhinney is activated, it would likely push Allen York down to the ECHL once again, as Manny Legace currently carries the starter’s role in Springfield.

– Legace is not signed by the Blue Jackets, however, so he’s not eligible for an NHL recall unless they sign him to an emergency contract. He would also have to clear waivers. Finally, Mark Dekanich is out for the season due to ankle surgery and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

– Sanford is set to become an unrestricted free agent, but his terrific play for the Blue Jackets warrants another short-term contract as the team’s backup for next season.

— Sanford’s story has been a terrific one of perseverance and patience, and he deserves to be this team’s backup. Not only that, but he’s a perfect fit due to his veteran presence, his even-keeled demeanor in the net, and his work ethic. If you don’t think every NHL team needs that, just look at Toronto’s issues in goal. They could use a guy like Sanford right about now.

The Flyers are currently 5th in the Eastern Conference, and with all eyes on their goaltending, it’s nice to see Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky showing off brand new pads for their respective brands.

Click here to download a full-sized version of Bryzgalov’s new template

As you can see, Bryzgalov has joined the dark side; he is currently wearing a new set of black-based Vaughn V4 7600′s with orange and white graphics. He completes the set with matching V4 gloves, making this one of the only dark-based sets of the season (Jason LaBarbera, Michal Neuvirth).

Add with it a black Bauer stick with white graphics, and his terrific black and orange tiger mask by Diel Airbrush, and I can safely say Bryzgalov now has one of the most fluid and sharp sets in the NHL.

Click here to download a full-sized version of Bobrovsky’s new template

Then we have Bobrovsky, one of Reebok’s newest and finest young NHL clients. He has finally made the switch to the Reebok Premier 4 pads, the set that is probably making the most waves right now in the goalie realm. They’re a white based set with a minimal orange (outer graphic) and black (inner graphic) color scheme. His gloves match the leg pads, making it one of the many traditional white-based color schemes of the season.

We’re not sure if Bryzgalov has a matching Thermos to go with his new set of Vaughn V4′s, but hopefully he starts getting hot for the Flyers so he won’t need one! Great work as usual by Mathew (@Mash_Designs) with these templates, we are definitely liking the contrasts that come with Flyers orange on a black-based set of pads.

Remember to take advantage of the new “10% Off” PadsTracker discount thanks to Pure Goalie, and join our new Facebook group, Goalie Guild Gear Central, for more PadsTracker updates!

The Goalie Guild Announces Exclusive PadsTracker Partnership with PureGoalie.com
PureGoalie.com Becomes the Exclusive Sponsor of the Popular PadsTracker and PadsFactory Tools

Denver, CO: Earlier today, The Goalie Guild announced that a strategic and exclusive partnership was created with PureGoalie.com to advance and enhance the popular PadsTracker and PadsFactory tools.

“I am so excited to see this new partnership come to life,” said The Goalie Guild’s founder, Justin Goldman. “Pure Goalie is not only a phrase I’m very passionate about, but it’s also a great brand and trusted goalie equipment retailer. Their support not only allows me to continue expanding the PadsTracker and PadsFactory tools, but by joining forces, the engine of creativity now has the fuel it needs for these tools to be advanced and enhanced.”

Pure Goalie is the latest e-commerce & retail division for Pure Hockey and Commonwealth Lacrosse.  (“ComLax”); With a recently launched website at www.puregoalie.com and currently six retail locations located in Massachusetts, Connecticut,  New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and with brand new locations opening soon in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. Pure Goalie is the largest goalie specific retailer in the U.S. In addition, through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and The Goalie Store Bulletin Board website; Pure Goalie provides additional levels of customer service and interactions.

“The decision to create this partnership with The Goalie Guild was very simple,” said Bill Notartomaso, Goalie Specialist for Pure Hockey. “Our goal with the Pure Goalie division is to provide the most unique experience for goalies everywhere; we feel that The Goalie Guild’s PadsTracker and PadsFactory tools, as well as their unique collection of in-depth goalie scouting services, mirror that same ‘everything goaltending’ mentality.”

Created by Goldman in the Spring of 2009, PadsTracker provides a continuously-updated chart of every NHL goaltender’s current pad setup. Combined with totally unique and rich visual templates designed by lead project artist Mathew Abraham, the PadsTracker tool is the easiest way to see what model leg pads, gloves and blockers are being worn by every NHL goalie that play a regular season game.

PadsTracker Templates Now Include “10% Off” Discounts from Pure Goalie!

The PadsFactory tool is a virtual library of free downloadable blank pad templates. These images allow a goalie or hockey fan to create their own custom PadsTracker template, which are perfect for a goalie to use for placing custom orders, creating their own set of dream pads, or simply creating whatever type of custom color scheme they can think of.

Now that these tools are exclusively sponsored by Pure Goalie, every template will feature a “10% off” coupon code at the bottom, which is offered for free to any and all PadsTracker users. By using this special code on the Pure Goalie website to purchase goalie gear, users automatically save 10% on select goaltender product in their total purchase.

The cross-promotions don’t stop there, though. As time goes on, The Goalie Guild and Pure Goalie will be announcing unique template contests and challenges that will give goalies opportunities to win prizes and discounts.. More than anything, the partnership also gives goalies another haven to discuss everything from goalie gear to anything hockey-related.

“One of the most essential elements of being a goaltender is having a passion for the gear we wear,” Goldman said. “Like a medieval knight in shining armor, what we wear is intimately tied to how we move, and how we look. Although The Goalie Guild is a haven for my independent scouting services, tracking gear and allowing goalies across the globe to discuss gear and purchase it at PureGoalie.com is something I am committed to providing for the goalie community.”

– The Goalie Guild

IN THE CAGE: CRAWFORD BACK ON TRACK?

No goalie was under more pressure to bounce back last week than Chicago’s Corey Crawford. He was a thorn in his team’s side at the start of their lengthy nine-game road trip, giving up 10 goals on just 55 shots in consecutive losses to Edmonton (Feb. 2) and San Jose (Feb. 10).

But he rebounded in a surprising way, starting with a 22-save effort in a 4-2 win against the Rangers on Thursday. A four-goal explosion in the first period from his teammates alleviated a lot of the pressure Crawford faced that night, and that allowed him to play in a more relaxed and confident manner.

That boost of confidence parlayed into a 6-1 win in Columbus (33 saves) two days later, as he once again benefitted from timely goal support. Less than 24 hours later, Crawford completed the weekend sweep with a legitimate “steal” when he stopped 29 of 30 shots in a 3-1 home win Sunday over the Blues.