Avalanche place Varlamov on IR with groin issue

Semyon Varlamov Varlamov is 0-2-1 in three appearances this season with a .910 save percentage and 3.80 goals-against average. (Fred Chartrand/CP)

The Colorado Avalanche placed starting goalie Semyon Varlamov on injured reserve Thursday.

Varlamov is dealing with a groin injury. It’s unclear if the 26-year-old Russian suffered the injury Tuesday in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, in which he played the entire game.

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Backup Reto Berra started in net Thursday when the Avalanche visited the Ottawa Senators, but left the game with an upper-body injury and was replaced by Calvin Pickard who was called up from the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League earlier in the day.

Varlamov’s move to the IR is retroactive to Tuesday, but it’s unknown at this time how much time Varlamov will miss. He is 0-2-1 in three appearances this season with a .910 save percentage and 3.80 goals-against average. In 63 games last season he finished with a 41-14-6 record, 2.41 GAA, .927 save percentage and earned a Vezina Trophy nomination.

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