Glendale, Ariz. – Winger Marek Svatos, who had missed the previous six games with a groin injury, returned to the Avalanche lineup Saturday night against the Phoenix Coyotes.
However, defenseman Karlis Skrastins’ knee injury kept him out of uniform for the ninth consecutive game. This comes on the heels of his 495-game ironman streak, an NHL record for defensemen.
With Svatos back, winger Scott Parker was a healthy scratch.
Back-to-back
The Saturday-Sunday games against the Coyotes and Sharks, respectively, will be the Avalanche’s 10th back-to-back set this season. The only one remaining is April 7 and 8 against Nashville and Calgary, both at home, and the latter was rescheduled from Dec. 21 because of the snowstorm.
Peter Budaj was in the Colorado net, his ninth consecutive start. Given that it comes on back-to-back nights in different cities, it’s one more indication of the Avalanche’s lack of faith in Jose Theodore, who hasn’t gotten a start since Feb. 25 at Anaheim.
Two Hobey candidates
The Hobey Baker Award hasn’t always been a harbinger of NHL success, but the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Avs are the only teams to have two prospects among the 10 finalists for the 2007 award – which goes to the top player in NCAA hockey. Among the winners, though, have been Buffalo center Chris Drury, Avalanche defenseman Jordan Leopold and Sharks defenseman Matt Carle.
The Colorado draft choices in the running for this year’s award are Michigan senior center T.J. Hensick, considered the favorite, and Dartmouth junior winger David Jones, the Ivy League player of the year.
Hensick was the 88th overall choice in the 2005 draft, the same one in which the Avalanche claimed Paul Stastny.
