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Hejda has sprained knee, will miss two weeks |
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Rick Sadowski
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Some encouraging news from the Avalanche: defenseman Jan Hejda sustained a sprained right knee in Thursday's game in Edmonton and is expected to miss about two weeks. It could have been a lot worse when Hejda fell awkwardly into the boards, grimacing as he held his knee before being helped off the ice.
So Hejda should be fine after rest and rehab. He was examined by team physician Dr. Andrew Parker after returning to Denver on Friday.
Hejda is having his best season since joining the Avalanche as a free agent three years ago. He's averaging 22:10 in ice time with three goals, six assists and a plus-17 plus/minus figure in 26 games.
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Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere tied Ken Dryden for 44th place on the NHL's all-time list with his 258th win Friday when the Avalanche defeated Calgary 3-2. Giguere has won all seven of his decisions this season, with five of them coming on the road.
Semyon Varlamov is expected to start in goal Sunday night when the Avalanche completes its three-game road trip in Vancouver. He's never beaten the Canucks, going 0-7-1 against them with a 2.80 goals-against average. Colorado has won five of its past six road games -- Thursday's 8-2 thumping to the Oilers being the lone exception -- but has just four wins in the past 22 games against the Canucks (4-15-3).
The Canucks defeated Phoenix 3-2 in overtime Friday to begin a five-game homestand, but coach John Tortorella was upset because they squandered a 2-0 lead in the third period. Vancouver has won three games in a row and has gone 4-1-1 in the past five.
“I'm happy we won, but I can't stand the way we won,” Tortorella told reporters. "We have to get out of this situation of not finishing off games because we're not going anywhere until we do. I just don't think we're a good situational team right now and that onus falls on me as a coach.
"I'm not going to keep on ripping the team. We won the game, but I thought we (threw) away a point.”
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