Avalanche Report: Foote returns; Leopold out

By Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 28, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote, who has missed seven of the past 10 games with a hip injury, practiced Thursday and will play Friday against the Edmonton Oilers.

He'll be needed in the Avalanche defensive pairings because Jordan Leopold, who injured his hip Wednesday against Vancouver, will not play.

Leopold, who has been hampered with injuries since he was acquired from Calgary in a 2006 trade that sent Alex Tanguay to the Flames, did not practice. Coach Joel Quenneville said Leopold's hip was too stiff.

Forward Peter Forsberg, who had three assists Wednesday in his best all-around game in the six he has played this season, didn't practice.

"He is resting," Quenneville said.

But Quenneville said he expects Forsberg, who has been bothered with what the team is calling a groin injury, to play Friday.

Playoff tickets on sale Saturday

Single-game tickets for potential first-round home playoff games for the Avalanche will go on sale at noon Saturday.

Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, online (Ticketmaster.com) and by phone (303-830-8497 or 719-520-9090).

Fans who purchase tickets at the Pepsi Center box office will enter a lottery for a place in line beginning at 10:30 a.m.

There is a limit of eight tickets per household per game for first-round tickets.

He said it

"They were generating chances off the rush, making plays around the net, and they have a lot of speed and skill. They exposed us last game, and we can't give up the quantity or quality we gave up last game."

Quenneville, on Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Oilers.

Numbers game

29 goals by Edmonton in the past seven games, and that's after the Oilers scored only one in a loss at Minnesota on Wednesday.

Oilers at Avalanche

* When: 7 tonight.

* Where: Pepsi Center.

* TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-FM (104.3).

* Leading scorers

Edmonton (39-34-5) G A P

RW Ales Hemsky 20 48 68

C Sam Gagner 12 36 48

LW Dustin Penner 22 23 45

C Andrew Cogliano 18 25 43

LW Robert Nilsson 10 29 39

Coach: Craig MacTavish

Colorado (41-31-6) G A P

C Paul Stastny 23 45 68

LW Andrew Brunette 17 37 54

RW Milan Hejduk 26 23 49

LW Wojtek Wolski 17 28 45

RW Marek Svatos 26 11 37

Coach: Joel Quenneville

* Injuries: Edmonton - C Shawn Horcoff (shoulder), LW Ethan Moreau (broken leg), D Sheldon Souray (shoulder), C Tyler Spurgeon (undisclosed) and LW Raffi Torres (knee) are out; LW Geoff Sanderson (back) and G Mathieu Garon (ankle) are day to day. Colorado - D Brett Clark (shoulder surgery) RW Marek Svatos (knee), RW Scott Parker (ankle) and D Jordan Leopold (hip) are out. D Adam Foote (hip) is day to day.

* Sidelight: With four games remaining, the Oilers are three points behind Vancouver, which holds the eighth and final Western Conference playoff position. Though 10th in the standings, the Oilers haven't given up. "We're not out of anything yet," Gagner said after a 3-1 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday. "It just makes the next (game) against Colorado even more important."

* Notes: The Avalanche is 10-5 in its past 15 games. . . . Stastny has recorded points in his past seven games (two goals, nine assists). He missed one game because of the flu, so he isn't listed with a seven- game points streak. . . . Colorado has killed 13 consecutive penalties. . . . Hejduk has scored goals in three consecutive games.

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