VARLAMOV OUT WITH ANOTHER GROIN INJURY

chicago» Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov is again shelved with a groin injury and 21-year-old Spencer Martin on Friday was an emergency call-up from San Antonio of the American Hockey League.

Varlamov did not travel with the Avs after a 6-0 loss to the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, when Varlamov allowed five goals on 18 shots before being relieved by Calvin Pickard.

Before Friday’s game against the Blackhawks, Avs coach Jared Bednar said he wasn’t aware of Varlamov’s injury until after Thursday’s game. Varlamov previously missed three games with a groin injury this season and has had continual problems with the area over the past three years.

Martin, who has yet to play in an NHL game, backed up Pickard for the fifth time this season Friday. Varlamov also missed two games last month with a wrist injury. Footnotes. Defenseman Patrick Wiercioch, who was minus-3 Thursday against the Maple Leafs in 17:45, was a healthy scratch Friday for the second time this season. He was replaced by Eric Gelinas. Avs forward Cody McLeod was scratched in favor of Mikhail Grigorenko, who was the oddman out Thursday. … Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford was back in net after missing 10 games with an appendectomy. Chicago was 6-3-1 in his absence. …. The Avalanche was scheduled to return to Denver immediately after the game and begin a mandatory three-day NHL break.