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Avalanche report: Cavalry cometh

Pat Rooney, Special to the Rocky

Published February 20, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

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Joe Sakic is close to returning for the Avs. He should be back playing before the end of Colorado's 5-game trip that starts Wednesday.

Joe Sakic is close to returning for the Avs. He should be back playing before the end of Colorado's 5-game trip that starts Wednesday.

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It could not have been a more reassuring scene for an Avalanche team mired in a scoring drought and a four-game losing streak - injured centers Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny skating together during Tuesday's workout.

The Avalanche begins a five-game, eight-day trip tonight against the defending Stanley Cup-champion Anaheim Ducks, and coach Joel Quenneville expects both players will be back in the lineup before the team returns home to Colorado.

Quenneville did not commit to either player being in the lineup tonight, intimating Stastny was a bit further along than Sakic, but getting both back on the ice would be a huge boost for a team in danger of sliding out of the playoff picture after scoring only four goals during its current four-game losing streak.

"I think it was frustrating at first, but once we knew we had to do the surgery, after that, you knew how long you'd be out," said Sakic, who has not played since Nov. 30 because of a groin injury that later required hernia surgery. "After that . . . it was a matter of just getting back and doing the things you needed to do to get back as quick as possible. Now that I'm skating, you're champing at the bit to get back."

Repeat surge

Fluttering at the edge of the playoff picture should not roil the Avalanche. The club was in a worse predicament last season before putting together a stretch of 15 wins in its final 19 games.

With the pending return of Sakic and Stastny, combined with a home-heavy schedule in March, the Avalanche knows a repeat performance is quite feasible.

"The memory from last year can help," forward Milan Hejduk said. "We know we can do it. We had a really good stretch at the end, and, hopefully, we can repeat."

He said it

"Why? I didn't even hit him in the face. It was the impact that kind of pushed him back. . . I've given worse hits than that in my career. Hopefully, he'll be all right. I have so much respect for the guy. That's why I played hard against him."

Ian Laperriere, Avalanche forward, on whether he is concerned about disciplinary action from the league for his hit against Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom on Monday.

Avalanche at Ducks

* When: 8 MST tonight.

* Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif.

* TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-AM (950).

* Leading scorers

Colorado (30-25-5) G A P

RW Milan Hejduk 20 19 39

LW Wojtek Wolski 14 24 38

LW Andrew Brunette 11 26 37

RW Marek Svatos 25 6 31

LW Ryan Smyth 11 17 28

Coach:

Joel Quenneville

Anaheim (33-23-7) G A Pts.

C Ryan Getzlaf 20 44 64

RW Corey Perry 28 22 50

D Chris Pronger 12 29 41

LW Chris Kunitz 18 21 39

RW Todd Bertuzzi 12 18 30

Coach:

Randy Carlyle

* Injuries: Colorado - D Brett Clark (dislocated shoulder), C Joe Sakic (groin), D Kyle Cumiskey (groin), C Paul Stastny (groin) and RW Cody McCormick (chest contusion) are on injured reserve. Anaheim - C Doug Weight (shoulder) is on injured reserve.

* Sidelight: Peter Budaj will start in goal tonight, Quenne ville said. Budaj, who has not made a start since a Feb. 4 overtime loss at Phoenix, played well in the Avalanche's 2-1 overtime loss at Anaheim on Dec. 19, stopping 36 of 38 Ducks shots.

* Notes: The Ducks recorded a 2-1 win at the Pepsi Center on Feb. 12, getting the winning goal from Samuel Pahlsson with 4:21 remaining. . . . The Avalanche has gone 0-for-18 on the power play during its four-game losing streak. . . . The Avalanche has slipped to last in the league with a 13.5 percent success rate on the power play. Colorado also ranks last in power-play percentage on the road at 10.8 percent. . . . Former Avalanche player Teemu Selanne recorded an assist during the Ducks' 4-2 win Sunday against Calgary and became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Selanne has posted 670 points with Anaheim.

Comments

  • February 20, 2008

    6:15 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Little_Red_Wagon writes:

    Yes, it is Lent. Calvary is on the mind of many Christians. In this case, I believe that the headline writer intended to use the word 'cavalry'.

    As an Avs fan, I look forward to the return of Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny.

  • February 20, 2008

    8:20 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    R8R_H8R writes:

    Beat me to the Punch! How in the worLd can a paid professional writer not comprehend the difference between Cavalry and Calvary!? It's the Dumbing Down of America foLks! Watch MORE American Idiot, ooooops, American IdoL! To heLL! with History ChanneL! The Learning ChanneL, and Discovery ChanneL too!!!

  • February 20, 2008

    8:37 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    ColoNative writes:

    I know that hockey has gotten a bit violent, but to do a crucifixion? That seems a bit much.