On the day Diamond Jim, an English springer spaniel, was making the media rounds in New York to celebrate his Westminster Kennel Club “best in show” victory, Avalanche skaters John-Michael Liles and Marek Svatos could have been tempted to call him and ask advice on getting out of the doghouse.
Liles, a defenseman who played only six minutes in a Colorado victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, said his lack of ice time had nothing to do with the broken foot that recently kept him out of the lineup for a month until last week.
“The foot’s great and it was a big win last night,” Liles said after Wednesday’s practice at Family Sports Center. “I wish I had more answers.”
So why isn’t he playing more?
“I don’t know,” Liles said. “I’m not sure. … Bottom line is we won last night, it was a big win and we needed those points, and that’s really all I have.”
Liles said neither coach Joel Quenneville nor anyone else had told him why his time has been limited.
“I just have to keep moving forward and being ready when I’m out there,” he said.
For the record, Liles said all of that with a bit of a wry smile and without bitterness.
The Avalanche again suited up seven defensemen against the Ducks, but unlike in earlier games, Colorado didn’t use one of them on the fourth line, instead limiting Liles’ time mainly to the power play. He has 10 goals and 20 assists in 45 games this season, but since returning to the lineup last week, he has only one assist and is a minus-3, with ice time of 14:12, 14:25, 20:07 and then the 6:01 in the four games.
“Coming off his injury, we want to get him up to speed, get him playing the way he was prior to the injury,” Quenneville said before the Avalanche left for Calgary, where it will face the Flames tonight and Saturday.
What message did he want Liles to get from the virtual benching?
“We just expect more,” Quenneville said. “In his overall game. Offensively. Defensively. With the puck.”
Svatos, who has only two goals since Dec. 1, was a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career against the Ducks. It wasn’t a complete shock because Svatos had played little after the first period against Dallas on Sunday, when he looked lost in the defensive zone on a Stars goal. Quenneville said no decision would be made until today about whether he would return to the lineup tonight.
“When you’re not scoring at the same rate, whether it affects your legs or your mind as far as the overall team game, you’re sitting there thinking about the wrong things,” Quenneville said. “Watching for a game is not a bad thing. Everybody’s going to go through stretches where you’re not scoring, but you want to be contributing in other ways. That’s what we’re looking for.”
Svatos, who tied Joe Sakic for the team lead with 32 goals last season, despite missing the final 20 games with a fractured shoulder, said he was “not very happy” about being scratched.
“They are trying to send the message that I have to pick it up,” he said. “And you know what? That’s that I’m going to have to do. I’m working on it and I have to play better.
“I don’t feel as comfortable as last year. My confidence is still lower than it was. It’s something I have to figure out in my head and get mentally better prepared. I know I have to do something.”
Terry Frei can be reached at 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com.
