Who will take the ice for the Avalanche tonight when it faces the Atlanta Thrashers? The answer will be revealed during what amounts to a reality TV show on Altitude.
Forward Peter Forsberg and defensemen Adam Foote and Jordan Leopold hope to play, but the Avalanche began making alternate plans Monday in case it remains thin on the blue line.
Colorado placed defenseman Jeff Jillson on re-entry waivers, a move necessary to recall him from the minors if Foote (hip) and Leopold (head) are unable to play.
Jillson, who has played in 140 career NHL games, signed with Colorado during the summer but has spent most of the season with Lake Erie (Ohio) of the American Hockey League.
Foote has missed two games with a hip injury, while Leopold left Sunday's game against Dallas after being slammed into the boards by Steve Ott. Colorado also lost defenseman Ruslan Salei to an eye injury suffered when he scrapped with Ott coming to Leopold's defense.
Forsberg, three games into his NHL comeback, is nursing a groin injury, and more is expected to be known about his status after today's morning skate. The Avalanche did not practice Monday.
As for Salei, he returned to Denver and was scheduled to have an injured eye evaluated. No further information was given by the team.
NUMBERS GAME
69 is the projected points total for Colorado's leading scorer, Paul Stastny, who has 57 points in 55 games. It would be the first time in franchise history the team's scoring leader failed to reach the 70-point mark in a nonlockout season. Andrew Brunette is second to Stastny with 47 points.
BEAST AGAINST EAST
Like the sun, the Avalanche tends to rise in the East.
The Avalanche has won seven of eight games against Eastern Conference teams this season and has a chance to improve upon that mark tonight against the Thrashers.
There's no good explanation for Colorado's success, other than the Western Conference - like in the NBA - might be better than the East. The Chicago Blackhawks are the only Western Conference team with a losing record against Eastern Conference foes.
"It's kind of fun going into that (Atlanta) game because it's a little unpredictable," coach Joel Quenneville said. "After playing all these competitive games on our side, we've got to have the same approach."
EARNING THEIR KEEP
After losing Leopold and Salei to injury in the first period Sunday, the Avalanche had only four defensemen for the remainder of the game. How the remaining quartet fared:
Blocked Shots Player Min. Shifts Hits shots on goal
Scott Hannan 32:14 31 0 5 2
John-Michael Liles 26:17 27 1 0 5
Jeff Finger 26:06 31 1 0 0
Kurt Sauer 21:08 26 1 1 0
Avalanche at Thrashers
* When: 5 MDT tonight.
* Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta.
* TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-AM (950) and KJCD-FM (104.3).
* Leading scorers
Colorado (37-27-6) G A Pts.
C Paul Stastny 21 36 57
LW Andrew Brunette 15 32 47
RW Milan Hejduk 21 21 42
LW Wojtek Wolski 15 26 41
C Tyler Arnason 8 20 28
Coach: Joel Quenneville
Atlanta (30-32-8) G A Pts.
LW Ilya Kovalchuk 45 31 76
RW Mark Recchi 12 28 40
C Eric Perrin 12 26 38
C Todd White 14 23 37
D Tobias Enstrom 4 33 37
Coach: Don Waddell
* Injuries: Colorado - D Brett Clark (shoulder) is on injured reserve; D Ruslan Salei (eye), LW Ryan Smyth (concussion, shoulder) and RW Marek Svatos (knee) are out; D Jordan Leopold (head) is questionable; C Peter Forsberg (groin) and D Adam Foote (hip) are day to day. Atlanta - White (shoulder) is questionable.
* Sidelight: The Avalanche will make its first appearance in Atlanta since Jan. 22, 2004. Colorado has gone 4-3-1 in eight road games against the Thrashers but has not won at Philips Arena since its Stanley Cup- championship season of 2000-01.
* Notes: The Thrashers are all but eliminated from playoff contention, making them dangerous in the eyes of the Avalanche. "I know it won't be easy," Colorado forward Ian Laperriere said. "They want to break up the party." . . . Jose Theodore is expected to make his 10th straight start in goal for Colorado. He is 10-4 with a 2.23 career goals-against average against Atlanta. . . . The Thrashers have not played since a 3-2 overtime loss to Florida on Saturday. . . . Atlanta has lost nine of its past 10 games, with four of the losses coming in overtime. . . . The Thrashers have scored more than three goals only twice in their past 16 games. . . . Brunette's five-game points streak came to an end Sunday in Dallas.
Forward Peter Forsberg and defensemen Adam Foote and Jordan Leopold hope to play, but the Avalanche began making alternate plans Monday in case it remains thin on the blue line.
Colorado placed defenseman Jeff Jillson on re-entry waivers, a move necessary to recall him from the minors if Foote (hip) and Leopold (head) are unable to play.
Jillson, who has played in 140 career NHL games, signed with Colorado during the summer but has spent most of the season with Lake Erie (Ohio) of the American Hockey League.
Foote has missed two games with a hip injury, while Leopold left Sunday's game against Dallas after being slammed into the boards by Steve Ott. Colorado also lost defenseman Ruslan Salei to an eye injury suffered when he scrapped with Ott coming to Leopold's defense.
Forsberg, three games into his NHL comeback, is nursing a groin injury, and more is expected to be known about his status after today's morning skate. The Avalanche did not practice Monday.
As for Salei, he returned to Denver and was scheduled to have an injured eye evaluated. No further information was given by the team.
NUMBERS GAME
69 is the projected points total for Colorado's leading scorer, Paul Stastny, who has 57 points in 55 games. It would be the first time in franchise history the team's scoring leader failed to reach the 70-point mark in a nonlockout season. Andrew Brunette is second to Stastny with 47 points.
BEAST AGAINST EAST
Like the sun, the Avalanche tends to rise in the East.
The Avalanche has won seven of eight games against Eastern Conference teams this season and has a chance to improve upon that mark tonight against the Thrashers.
There's no good explanation for Colorado's success, other than the Western Conference - like in the NBA - might be better than the East. The Chicago Blackhawks are the only Western Conference team with a losing record against Eastern Conference foes.
"It's kind of fun going into that (Atlanta) game because it's a little unpredictable," coach Joel Quenneville said. "After playing all these competitive games on our side, we've got to have the same approach."
EARNING THEIR KEEP
After losing Leopold and Salei to injury in the first period Sunday, the Avalanche had only four defensemen for the remainder of the game. How the remaining quartet fared:
Blocked Shots Player Min. Shifts Hits shots on goal
Scott Hannan 32:14 31 0 5 2
John-Michael Liles 26:17 27 1 0 5
Jeff Finger 26:06 31 1 0 0
Kurt Sauer 21:08 26 1 1 0
Avalanche at Thrashers
* When: 5 MDT tonight.
* Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta.
* TV/radio: Altitude; KKFN-AM (950) and KJCD-FM (104.3).
* Leading scorers
Colorado (37-27-6) G A Pts.
C Paul Stastny 21 36 57
LW Andrew Brunette 15 32 47
RW Milan Hejduk 21 21 42
LW Wojtek Wolski 15 26 41
C Tyler Arnason 8 20 28
Coach: Joel Quenneville
Atlanta (30-32-8) G A Pts.
LW Ilya Kovalchuk 45 31 76
RW Mark Recchi 12 28 40
C Eric Perrin 12 26 38
C Todd White 14 23 37
D Tobias Enstrom 4 33 37
Coach: Don Waddell
* Injuries: Colorado - D Brett Clark (shoulder) is on injured reserve; D Ruslan Salei (eye), LW Ryan Smyth (concussion, shoulder) and RW Marek Svatos (knee) are out; D Jordan Leopold (head) is questionable; C Peter Forsberg (groin) and D Adam Foote (hip) are day to day. Atlanta - White (shoulder) is questionable.
* Sidelight: The Avalanche will make its first appearance in Atlanta since Jan. 22, 2004. Colorado has gone 4-3-1 in eight road games against the Thrashers but has not won at Philips Arena since its Stanley Cup- championship season of 2000-01.
* Notes: The Thrashers are all but eliminated from playoff contention, making them dangerous in the eyes of the Avalanche. "I know it won't be easy," Colorado forward Ian Laperriere said. "They want to break up the party." . . . Jose Theodore is expected to make his 10th straight start in goal for Colorado. He is 10-4 with a 2.23 career goals-against average against Atlanta. . . . The Thrashers have not played since a 3-2 overtime loss to Florida on Saturday. . . . Atlanta has lost nine of its past 10 games, with four of the losses coming in overtime. . . . The Thrashers have scored more than three goals only twice in their past 16 games. . . . Brunette's five-game points streak came to an end Sunday in Dallas.
