NHL Playoff

Colorado Avalanche Face Injury Woes

After pulling together a bit of a throwback team at the trade deadline, the Colorado Avalanche now face the test of getting through a pair of tough injuries.

Forward Ryan Smyth will be out indefinitely with a concussion and forward Marek Svatos will have season-ending surgery on a torn ACL.

Smyth lost consciousness and suffered a minor shoulder separation after being elbowed into the glass by Kings defenceman Jack Johnson. His head was knocked into the padded partition near the Avalanche bench. The Avalanche said Smyth wouldn’t be allowed to exercise until the concussion symptoms disappear and didn’t specify a possible timetable for when that might be.

Winger Marek Svatos, the team’s leading goal-scorer, has a torn ACL in his left knee. He will require surgery and will miss at least the rest of this season. Both players were injured in Colorado’s 5-2 victory over Los Angeles on Saturday night.

With Peter Forsberg possibly set to step on to the ice during tonight’s game against Vancouver, the Avs might be getting some good news. But the injury-prone Forsberg isn’t setting many minds at ease, despite the general excitement around his return. Forsberg will need to win over a fair share of critics before he can be penciled in as an impact player again. With the latest rash of injuries, the Avalanche and their fans are hoping Forsberg’s impact will be felt sooner than later.

At practice Monday, coach Joel Quenneville said he didn’t believe the injury outlook would affect Forsberg’s timetable on when to return to play. “It’s tough to answer that question,” Quenneville said. “He saw the games and being exposed to where we’re at in the conference and the meaning of tonight’s game. Going forward, it’s going to be our biggest game of the year. So I think he has to be comfortable with himself and ready to go.”