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Avalanche could have Sakic back in lineup

Feb 24, 2008 - 10:21 PM Colorado (31-25-6) at Edmonton (27-30-5) 8:00 pm EST

EDMONTON, Alberta (Ticker) -- The Colorado Avalanche could have captain Joe Sakic back in the lineup Sunday when they continue a four-game road trip against the Edmonton Oilers.

Sakic was activated from injured reserve on Sunday and could play against the Oilers. He returned to practice Saturday after missing 38 games following hernia surgery in December.

"I think there's a chance (of playing against the Oilers), but we still have to wait to see how everything feels and go from there in the morning," Sakic told the Denver Post.

The Avalanche snapped a five-game losing streak Friday with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.

The recent skid has dropped Colorado out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Avalanche are in ninth place in the West, four points out of a playoff spot.

Still, they are getting healthy for the stretch drive as Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny recently returned following lengthy injuries. Stastny scored 14 minutes into the first period Friday in his first game back since missing 15 contests due to an appendectomy.

The Oilers are in the midst of three-game losing streak and likely will miss the playoffs for a second straight season. They are currently just three points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for the worst record in the Western Conference.

Edmonton's recent struggled have been on defense as it has yielded 14 goals in the past three contests.

The Oilers' No. 1 goaltender at the start of the season, Dwayne Roloson, has not played in nearly three weeks after getting benched in favor of backup Mathieu Garon.

Colorado has dominated the season series, winning all four meetings to date. The teams have not played since November 28.