NHL: District attorney drops domestic violence case against Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov

Denver • Prosecutors said Friday that they are dropping a domestic violence case against Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov because they have new information leading them to believe they couldn't win a conviction.

Varlamov was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault after his girlfriend said he knocked her down with a kick, stomped on her chest and dragged her by her hair at their apartment on Oct. 30.

The girlfriend, Evgeniya Vavrinyukat, also accused him of telling her that he would have beaten her more if they had been in Russia, where he is from, authorities said.

Lynn Kimbrough, a spokeswoman for the Denver District Attorney's Office, declined to offer specifics on the new information that led prosecutors to drop the case. She said it surfaced from additional interviews with witnesses.

"This is not an indication that we didn't believe our victim," Kimbrough said. "It is ... simply not having the ability to prove it."

Vavrinyukat's attorney, Robert Abrams, had no comment, his office said.

The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Boston 35 23 10 2 48 96 74

Tampa Bay 35 21 11 3 45 97 84

Montreal 37 21 13 3 45 92 81

Detroit 37 16 12 9 41 94 101

Toronto 37 18 16 3 39 101 106

Ottawa 37 14 17 6 34 103 122

Florida 37 14 18 5 33 87 117

Buffalo 35 9 23 3 21 63 100

Metropolitan Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Pittsburgh 37 26 10 1 53 117 80

Washington 35 19 13 3 41 111 104

Philadelphia 35 16 15 4 36 86 97

Carolina 35 14 14 7 35 81 98

New Jersey 36 14 15 7 35 85 90

N.Y. Rangers 36 16 18 2 34 82 100

Columbus 35 14 17 4 32 91 100

N.Y. Islanders 36 10 19 7 27 90 124

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Chicago 38 25 7 6 56 140 105

St. Louis 34 23 7 4 50 119 81

Colorado 34 23 10 1 47 100 80

Minnesota 37 20 12 5 45 86 88

Dallas 34 17 12 5 39 99 102

Winnipeg 37 16 16 5 37 100 108

Nashville 35 16 16 3 35 80 99

Pacific Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Anaheim 37 25 7 5 55 119 93

Los Angeles 36 24 8 4 52 101 69

San Jose 35 21 8 6 48 113 88

Vancouver 38 21 11 6 48 104 92

Phoenix 34 18 10 6 42 106 105

Calgary 35 13 16 6 32 88 111

Edmonton 37 11 23 3 25 95 127

NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Friday's Games

Vancouver 3, Chicago 2, SO

Anaheim 3, New Jersey 2, OT

N.Y. Islanders 5, N.Y. Rangers 3

Washington 4, Carolina 2

Winnipeg 5, Florida 2

Saturday's Games

Calgary at Pittsburgh, 11 a.m.

Phoenix at Ottawa, noon

Colorado at Los Angeles, 2 p.m.

New Jersey at Washington, 5 p.m.

Philadelphia at Columbus, 5 p.m.

Montreal at Nashville, 5 p.m.

Buffalo at Boston, 5 p.m.

Detroit at Toronto, 5 p.m.

Carolina at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.

Anaheim at N.Y. Islanders, 5 p.m.

St. Louis at Edmonton, 8 p.m.

Dallas at San Jose, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday's Games

Minnesota at N.Y. Rangers, 5:30 p.m.

Winnipeg at Vancouver, 6 p.m.