Forsberg Seems About Ready To Rejoin Avalanche Lineup
Around the NHL
Colorado Avalanche center Peter Forsberg may return for Thursday’s game at Pittsburgh, five weeks after suffering a severe left thigh bruise.
Forsberg, out since Dec. 14, has been skating with the team the past week.
“He’s going to return sometime during this (five-game) road trip,” said Avalanche spokesman Jean Martineau.
The Avalanche face Tampa Bay tonight before traveling to Pittsburgh.
Forsberg, 23, underwent surgery to remove fluid in his left quadricep muscle Dec. 28. He was atop the NHL’s scoring list with 12 goals and 31 assists.
Puppa bounces back
“No pain.” Those have become important words in Daren Puppa’s vocabulary.
The Tampa Bay goaltender, who is recovering from surgery Nov. 11 to repair a herniated disk, completed his first week of pain-free skating Monday.
Puppa’s next obstacle may come quickly. The 1995-96 Vezina Trophy finalist plans to consult the team’s medical staff about facing shots later this week.
Suspension for Berube
The NHL suspended Washington Capitals left wing Craig Berube two games for a slashing incident during last Wednesday’s game against Ottawa.
Berube’s slash on left wing Dennis Vial also struck linesman Stephane Provost. Berube was assessed a match penalty for attempting to injure Vial.
Skate or die
When the Islanders didn’t skate in the third period, New York coach Mike Milbury kept them around for a fourth.
After his team gave up four goals in the third period Monday in a 6-4 loss to the St. Louis Blues, Milbury brought the Islanders back on Nassau Coliseum’s ice for 33 minutes of hard skating.
“When you don’t produce an effort, you have to do something as a coach,” Milbury said. “We’ll have to salvage this day somehow. We’ll have to get something out of it.”
Elsewhere
Valeri Kamensky scored twice in the final 8 minutes as Colorado beat Florida 4-2 and extended its unbeaten streak to a franchise-record 12 games… . Sean Burke stopped 44 shots and Hartford snapped a five-game losing streak, 3-1 over Toronto … Kelly Miller scored two goals and Jim Carey stopped 31 shots, leading Washington past Boston 3-2… . Mark Recchi scored twice and Jocelyn Thibault made 35 saves to lead Montreal past Detroit 4-1… . Buffalo’s Dominik Hasek stopped 43 shots and shut out Chicago the final two periods for a 2-1 win.