The struggling Colorado Avalanche hope the return of their No. Tyler Anderson Jersey . 1 goaltender can help the club end a four-game skid when it hosts the Vancouver Canucks in tonights clash at Pepsi Center. You can listen the game live on TSN 1040 Radio Vancouver at 6pm pt. The Avalanche are 1-4-2 on the season and in the midst of an 0-2-2 slide. However, Colorado head coach Patrick Roy revealed good news Thursday when he announced goaltender Semyon Varlamov will return to action in Fridays game. Varlamov was placed on injured reserve last Thursday with a groin injury. Although he is 0-2-1 with a 3.80 goals-against average and .910 save percentage through three games this season, Varlamov led the NHL last season with a franchise-record 41 wins and finished second in the voting for the Vezina Trophy. The 26-year-old Russian netminder is just 2-7-1 with a 2.62 goals against average in 10 lifetime games against the Canucks. Vancouver will shoot for a second straight win Friday after recording an impressive 4-1 road victory last night in St. Louis. Ryan Miller had 31 saves against his former club and the Canucks used a three-goal third period to beat the Blues at Scottrade Center. Miller, who signed with the Canucks during the summer after spending the second half of last season in St. Louis, turned aside 16 shots in the first two periods before stopping all 15 he faced in the third. It was interesting, said Miller. Ive never done that before. Ive never had a chance to play against a former team like that. ... A lot of good guys on the (Blues); it was one that I was actually really looking forward to, especially here in St. Louis. It was fun. Chris Higgins, Nick Bonino, Linden Vey and Jannik Hansen all scored for Vancouver, which got back on track after consecutive losses. The Canucks are 3-1-0 on the road this season and are closing a three-game trip tonight. Next up for Vancouver is a three-game homestand, beginning with Sundays tilt against Washington. Its unclear if Miller will play on back-to-back nights Friday, or if Eddie Lack will get his second start of the season. Lack suffered an overtime loss in his only career outing against Colorado, while Miller is 1-4-3 with a 3.32 GAA in eight lifetime games versus the Avs. Colorado is lagging far behind last seasons pace, as the club shocked the hockey world by winning their first six games and going 12-1-0 out of the gates. The Avs, of course, wound up winning their first division title since 2003 last season, as they finished ahead of Chicago and St. Louis for the Central crown. After losing the final three tests of a four-game road trip, the Avs returned to Denver to face Florida on Tuesday, but dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Panthers. Colorado fought its way back into the game after falling behind 2-0 in the first, but Floridas Brad Boyes scored the game-winning goal in overtime. Tyson Barrie, Alex Tanguay and Gabriel Landeskog each lit the lamp in the loss and Reto Berra stopped 32-of-36 shots for Colorado. We came back after a really bad first period, Berra said. We needed the wake-up call. Colorado had a strong 26-11-4 record on home ice last season, but fell to 0-1-1 as the host with Tuesdays setback. The Avs next game is Sundays away tilt in Winnipeg, but the club will follow that up with another two-game homestand against San Jose and the New York Islanders. Roys club posted a 2-1-0 record against the Canucks last season, but Vancouver has claimed 11 of the last 14 meetings in this series. The Canucks have lost two in a row in Denver after winning the previous four encounters at Pepsi Center. Antonio Senzatela Jersey . The 26-year-old Sobotka injured his left leg playing for the St. Louis Blues in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. The Blues said he would not recover from the injury in time for the Olympic tournament. Charlie Blackmon Jersey . By then it was clear: The 76ers were going to win for the first time in two months, and they were going to do it with ease. The 76ers snapped their NBA record-tying, 26-game losing streak, routing the Detroit Pistons 123-98 on Saturday night to avoid establishing the longest skid in U. http://www.rockiesgearproshop.com/Rockies-Carlos-Gonzalez-Kids-Jersey/ . Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves to backstop the Penguins to a 2-1 victory over the Flames, handing Calgary its team record sixth consecutive home regulation loss.ANAHEIM – Colby Rasmus was saying the right things when asked about his new lot in life. Hes a platoon player now. Once the starting centerfielder, hell share duties with Darin Mastroianni for the time being. "I guess its different than Ive been in before as far as being platooned," said Rasmus. "Im just going to look at it as theyre trying to help me in some weird kind of way." Rasmus is struggling, of that there is no question. With his first taste of free agency only months away, hes suffered through a .214/.267/.458, his .725 OPS propped up by his slugging percentage, which is strong because of Rasmus 41 hits, 12 have been home runs and 11 have been doubles. His splits would, on the surface, suggest a platoon makes sense. Rasmus has a .754 OPS with 10 home runs against right-handed pitchers; a .619 OPS with two home runs against left-handers. Manager John Gibbons has decided that involving one of the clubs latest of many waiver claims, Darin Mastroianni, in the centerfield mix is right for the team. "We want him to start hitting right-handers too," said Gibbons. "Were scrambling for offence right now and we think thats the best chance. Hes not hitting any lefties so give Mastro a shot at it." This comes at an interesting time. Edwin Encarnacion is on the disabled list with a right quadriceps strain. Brett Lawrie is on the disabled list with a fractured right index finger. Jose Bautista is playing despite hamstring tightness. Adam Lind is playing as he recovers from a bone bruise in his right foot. It seems anyone who is anyone is fighting an ailment to some degree. Rasmus should be part of the solution but hes going to have to break out of his funk in order to get the chance. "Its not going like I want it to, obviously," said Rasmus. "Everyday in this game is a fight no matter if youree doing good or doing bad. Ryan McMahon Jersey. Right now its not going that great for me. At the plate, theyre pitching me well and theyre not playing into my strengths, which is their job." In the fifth inning of Mondays 5-2 loss to the Angels, the score was 2-2 at the time, Los Angeles Josh Hamilton hit a lazy fly ball to Rasmus in centerfield. The bases were loaded and Kole Calhoun tagged from third. Rasmus caught the ball flatfooted rather than circling it and setting up for the throw home. His throw was offline, Calhoun scored easily and the Jays trailed the rest of the way. Two innings later, with the score 5-2 Angels in the seventh, Mastroianni pinch hit for Rasmus with left-handed Angels reliever Joe Thatcher on the mound. Gibbons made the move knowing right-hander Jason Grilli was ready. Grilli struck out Mastroianni looking. While Gibbons said he wasnt punishing Rasmus for the defensive miscue, he didnt offer Rasmus a ringing endorsement. "Well, you knew they had us either way," said Gibbons of the matchups. "So they forced our hand. They got us any way we want to go there." Its a little late to call this the beginning of the end of Rasmus time in Toronto, but the club appears poised to go in a different direction next season. Rasmus will seek out a contract big on term and dollar and knows he needs a strong finish to improve his chances of securing one. "Thats not really my main concern," said Rasmus. "My main concern is to get back to playing, not necessarily trying to prove anything or prove to anybody that Ive got to do anything; just to come in, do what Ive got to do, play baseball, have fun, enjoy my family and that will be it. "Im not going to let whatevers going on put more stress on me," he said. "Im just going to go out there and play. Whenever they want me to play, Ill play." ' ' '