BARRIE SCRATCHED BECAUSE OF ILLNESS

Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie was a late scratch Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks because of flulike symptoms, the Avs announced.

Barrie entered the game against the defending NHL champions as Colorado’s fifthleading scorer with 23 points ( four goals). He missed three previous games because of an NHL- imposed suspension for a dangerous check.

Nate Guenin replaced Barrie in the lineup, but Zach Redmond partnered with Nick Holden on the second pairing. Guenin was scratched the two previous games after suffering a head injury Dec. 21 against Toronto. Redmond is usually on the third pairing.

Chemistry class. Avs coach Patrick Roy’s line combinations for the second consecutive game featured what he regarded as a power forward on all four lines.

Left wing Gabe Landeskog again played with center Carl Soderberg and right wing Blake Comeau, and rookie left wing Andreas Martinsen— all 6foot- 3 and 220 pounds of him— was with center John Mitchell and right wing Matt Duchene.

Jarome Iginla and Cody McLeod were the power forwards on the other two lines.

“I like the mix with Martinsen,” Roy said of the first- year player. “Marty goes to the net and creates more space for Dutchy and Mitchy to play with the puck.”

Roy added: “I think we have a power forward on every line. You have Jarome on one line, Landy on another line and McLeod on the ( fourth) line. I feel that it’s a good fit for everyone.”

Iginla, 38, isn’t as physical or swift as he used to be, but his centerman, Nathan MacKinnon, adds much of that. Fourth- line right wing Jack Skille, along with Martinsen, is a first- year Av who has upgraded the team’s size, speed and toughness up front.

Footnotes. Scott Darling, usually Chicago’s backup goaltender, got the start in place of Corey Crawford. ... Iginla and Duchene each broke a stick in the first eight minutes, with Duchene’s break negating a scoring chance from the doorstep.