PICKARD BACK AT THE PEPSI CENTER

Calvin Pickard, the former Avalanche goalie who was lost in the expansion draft to the Vegas Golden Knights in June, was back playing at the Pepsi Center on Friday night, making his debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs after being recalled from the minors earlier in the day.

Pickard, 25, was traded by Vegas to Toronto on Oct. 6 and has played all season with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. He was recalled Friday to replace regular backup Curtis McElhinney, a former Colorado College standout who suffered a lower-body injury.

Regular starter Frederik Andersen backstopped Thursday’s 7-4 triumph at Arizona and the Leafs wanted to rest their workhorse, who has played in 31-of38 games.

Pickard played in 86 career games for Colorado over three seasons, with a 2.77 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. The Leafs gave up forward Tobias Lindberg and a sixthround draft pick for Canada’s World Championship goalie last spring. Pickard has a 2.20 GAA and .919 SP in 15 games for the Marlies.

“He’s a pro. He’s been in this league for a while now,” Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly said of Pickard before Friday’s game. “I played with him at the World Championships. He knows how it works. It’s not the ideal situation, but that’s the way it works and he’ll be fine.”

Footnotes.

The Avalanche made forward Nail Yakupov a healthy scratch Friday for the fifth time this season. Yakupov, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2012 draft who is in his first year with Colorado, was replaced by Gabriel Bourque. … Avs goalie Semyon Varlamov made his fifth consecutive start in net. … Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner had amassed nine points (three goals) in the four-game points streak he took into Friday. He had four assists in two career games against Colorado . ... Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen took a seven-game points streak into Friday. … The Avs continue their six-game homestand Sunday against the New York Islanders.