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Injury-plagued Avalanche go for fourth straight win

Mar 4, 2008 - 1:07 PM Vancouver (32-23-10) at Colorado (34-26-6) 9:00 pm EST

DENVER (Ticker) - The injury bug has bitten the Colorado Avalanche yet again.

The Avalanche will look for their fourth consecutive without two of their best offensive weapons Tuesday when they host the Vancouver Canucks in a Northwest Division battle.

Both Ryan Smyth and Marek Svatos sustained serious injuries during Colorado's 5-2 triumph over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Svatos, who leads the club with 26 goals and was on a six-game point streak, is out for the season after sliding awkwardly into the boards and tearing his left ACL.

Smyth suffered a concussion and a low-grade shoulder separation when he was driven into the partition along the bench area. Smyth, who scored two goals earlier in the session, was knocked unconscious and eventually removed on a stretcher.

The injuries could not have come at a worse time for the Avalanche, who are locked in a three-way tie with the Canucks and Nashville Predators for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference.

Some help could be on the way however, as recently-signed veteran Peter Forsberg is eyeing a Thursday return.

Vancouver is winless over its last three contests but has picked up at least a point in eight of its previous nine games (5-1-3).

Henrik and Daniel Sedin, the club's two leading scorers, have both been held off the scoresheet over the last three games.