Avalanche report: Liles makes trip

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 24, 2009 at 11:03 p.m.

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ATLANTA — Defenseman John-Michael Liles will join the Avalanche today in New Jersey and test his ailing left wrist in practice.

Liles, who is on injured reserve, jammed his wrist in the third period Feb. 15 in Detroit and has missed four games.

Liles is the team's top- scoring defenseman with seven goals and 21 assists in 55 games.

TIME TO SCRATCH

The return of Paul Stastny to the lineup gives the Avalanche three extra players, so forwards Tyler Arnason and T.J. Hensick were scratched, along with defenseman Darcy Campbell.

Arnason scored two goals in his past five games but has only five goals in 58 games overall.

Hensick has been scratched three games in a row and five times in the past seven. He has no goals and three assists in his past nine games.

Campbell has yet to play since his Feb. 19 recall from the Lake Erie Monsters in the American Hockey League.

NO SKATE

The Avalanche wasn't able to take its usual morning skate because arena workers still were preparing the ice for the game.

The ice was removed for a circus while the Thrashers were on a four-game trip to the West Coast.

A number of players rode stationary bikes, some did stretching exercises and others played soccer in a hallway.

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