The Blue Jackets’ Justin Falk, left, collides into the glass after missing a check on the Avalanche’s Matt Duchene on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
The Blue Jackets’ Justin Falk, left, collides into the glass after missing a check on the Avalanche’s Matt Duchene on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.Paul Vernon/Associated Press

The shutout was Varlamov’s fifth of the season and the 18th of his NHL career. Three have come against the Blue Jackets.

Alex Tanguay had a goal and an assist, and Tyson Barrie had three assists for the Avalanche, who played their first game without last season’s rookie of the year, Nathan MacKinnon. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft broke a bone in his foot blocking a shot and is unlikely to play again this season.