Joe Sakic revealed Wednesday he injured his back lifting weights and remains in no condition to lift the giant weight off the Avalanche’s struggling power play.
The Avs have scored only two goals in their past 33 power-play opportunities in their last seven games, which overlaps with Sakic’s four-game absence.
Sakic skated with the team Wednesday, but is not expected to play tonight, when Colorado concludes a home-and-home set with the Calgary Flames at the Pepsi Center.
“When you have Joe out there, it’s a whole other component to the power play, but we have to deal with it,” Avs center Paul Stastny said. “Until he comes back, we just have to focus on keeping it simple.”
In hockey terms, keeping things simple begins with hard work, an area Stastny said is lacking when the Avs have the extra attacker.
“We’re nonchalant out there, I think, playing the power play like it’s 5-on-5,” he said. “We’re not battling hard enough. Sometimes we’ll make plays and other times just lose the battles against the walls.”
Sakic will at least provide moral support beginning tonight. He remained in Denver during the Avs’ three-game, eight-day road trip that ended with a 4-1 loss at Calgary on Tuesday, but he will travel with the team for a two-game California road trip that begins Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings.
He could return to action against the Kings or Monday at the Anaheim Ducks.
“He’s improving, so that gives us some optimism,” Avs coach Tony Granato said. “Obviously, when you take Joe Sakic out of your lineup, you’re going to hurt in a lot of different areas.
“He’s a tremendous leader, so we look forward to getting him back when he’s healthy.”
Sakic, 39, said he sustained his first significant back injury doing lightweight “cleans,” a barbell movement from the floor that is intended to strengthen the core.
“I did it wrong, I guess,” Sakic said.
After sustaining the injury, he missed one game before returning to the lineup Nov. 8 against the Nashville Predators, but aggravated his back and left in the first period.
“It started to feel better and I tried to play, probably tried to rush it and it got real stiff after that, so now we’re going to make sure,” Sakic said. “It’s going well, I feel good on the ice, so it shouldn’t be much longer.”
Entering Wednesday, Colorado’s power play was ranked 24th in the 30-team NHL, at 15.3 percent.
“It’s something you keep working at,” defenseman and power play quarterback John-Michael Liles said. “It’s a matter of outworking the other team and gaining puck possession. It’s something we have to be better at.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
Calgary at Colorado
7 p.m. tonight, ALT, KCKK 1510 AM/KRCN 1060 AM
Spotlight on Dion Phaneuf: The hard-hitting Flames defenseman leads the team in ice time, averaging more than 28 minutes, but is minus-5, tied for second worst on the team. Only winger Todd Bertuzzi has a worse plus-minus, at minus-7.
Flames: Calgary is 4-5 this month and had lost five of seven games before Tuesday’s victory against the Avs. Calgary attempted 97 shots Tuesday, including 51 on goal. Avs players blocked 25. . . . Flames backup goalie Curtis McElhinney is a former four-year star and senior All-American at Colorado College. . . . Calgary returns home to face Detroit on Saturday.
Avalanche: Goalie Peter Budaj will be in the net. . . . Forward Ben Guite practiced Wednesday, but is not expected to play. . . . Avs draftees Ryan Stoa and Mike Carman and the rest of the top-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers face No. 10 University of Denver on Friday and Saturday at Magness Arena. Avs center Paul Stastny, a former Pioneer, predicts a series split. Avs defenseman Jordan Leopold, a former Gopher, was willing to make a friendly wager on a Minnesota sweep.
Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
