As one player returns to the lineup from injury, another exits. That’s just the way it works for the Colorado Avalanche.

After missing over a month due to an upper-body injury, defenseman Sam Girard returned to the Avalanche lineup in Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Girard played just two games at the start of the season before exiting the lineup.

Prior to his upper-body injury, the veteran defenseman spent the majority of training camp rehabbing a lower-body injury he suffered over the summer, so the 27-year-old really hasn’t gotten into any sort of rhythm this season. Needless to say, he’s a little frustrated.

“It sucks,” Girard said after morning skate on Thursday. “I want to be out there, I want to be playing. Second game, something happened and got to go back to zero. Glad to be back today and being able to play, but I want to be back out there. I want to play, but things happen. It’s out of my control and I think the past five weeks I just tried to focus on what I can control.”

The Avalanche immediately felt the impact of having Girard’s puck-moving abilities back in the lineup. On Colorado’s second goal, Girard got the breakout started, evading two forecheckers to get the puck to Sam Malinski, who was able to join the rush because Girard had drawn the attention of two Sabres players. Just a few seconds later, the puck was in the back of the Buffalo net.

Unfortunately, good news was met with equally bad news. Just as the defense gets completely healthy, the forward group took a hit, as Jared Bednar declared that Valeri Nichushkin is officially week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

“I can’t give you a tighter timeline than that until we see how he goes for the next handful of days,” Bednar said. “I would say early next week we can probably pinpoint it more. Nothing too serious, which is good, but serious enough that he’s going to miss a handful of games at least.”

It’s the first real injury the Avalanche have dealt with to their top six forwards, which means changes were required to their lineup. How do you replace a guy like Nichushkin in the top six?

“Gavin Brindley. That’s how we do it,” Bednar said.

That worked out pretty well for at least one game.

Brindley scored a goal in the second period on a beautiful shot as he came flying down the right wing, beating Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen over the blocker. He also added an assist in the first period.

With Nichushkin out for the immediate future, he’ll get plenty more opportunities to show he belongs in that spot, especially if he continues to produce.

Avalanche 6, Sabres 3

What happened: Even when the Avalanche aren’t at their best, which they weren’t on Thursday, they’re still better than a team like the Sabres.

What went right: Martin Necas had an opportunity to be a little selfish and try for the hat trick with the empty net. Instead he chose to pass up on the opportunity and feed his captain for an easy one, as Gabriel Landeskog had yet another goal taken away from him in the first period.

What went wrong: Mackenzie Blackwood is back, but he knows he’s still got work to do to get all the way back. The first two goals against him weren’t great. “My body feels good. Just needs some minutes just to get my mojo back,” Blackwood said. That’s a little tougher to do when Scott Wedgewood is playing the way he is.

Avalanche goal scorers: Necas (11, 12), Lehkonen (8), Nelson (4), Brindley (4), Landeskog (2)

Sabres goal scorers: Byram (2), Greenway (1), Thompson (7)

Between the pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 18 of 21 shots in his first start at home this season.

What’s next: The Avalanche will welcome Patrick Roy’s New York Islanders to Ball Arena this Sunday at 7 p.m.