Anaheim, Calif. – Karlis Skrastins’ ironman streak is over.
The veteran Latvian, who recently surpassed Tim Horton’s NHL record for consecutive games played by a defenseman, Sunday night sat out Colorado’s 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks because of a right knee injury he suffered the previous night against the Los Angeles Kings.
“It was the end of the third period, and I was clearing the puck from our zone, and with some speed, I hit my knee on the boards,” Skrastins said.
Skrastins, whose knee stiffened up overnight, came out for the pregame warm-up in Anaheim, skated briefly – Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville labeled it “one lap” – and decided he couldn’t go.
“I had a feeling (Sunday) morning that I wasn’t going to feel good, but I wanted to be sure,” Skrastins said.
So his ironman streak ended at 495 games, and it was only the second time in his career he had sat out an NHL game. The previous time was Feb. 18, 2000, when a minor shoulder injury kept him out of the Nashville Predators’ lineup.
“I knew sooner or later that it was going to end,” Skrastins said of the streak. “Nothing lasts forever. I’m happy with my streak, it’s going to be good memories for me. But my life didn’t stop, and I am going to move forward.”
Skrastins is scheduled to be examined in Denver today, and possibly undergo an MRI exam.
Speaking of streaks
Because Joe Sakic (one goal), Andrew Brunette (one assist) and Paul Stastny (one assist) made the scoresheet, they extended the league’s longest scoring streaks. Stastny already had the longest scoring streak for a rookie in the team’s Denver tenure, and when he hit 12 games Sunday, he tied the Quebec-Colorado franchise record for a rookie. He tied a fellow named Sakic, who had a 12-game streak in 1988-89.
Sakic also has a 12-game streak, and Brunette is at 10 games and counting.
