Sakic Might Sit Out Again Because of Shoulder Injury

The status of Colorado Avalanche center Joe Sakic for tonight’s game is unclear.

Sakic, Colorado’s captain, suffered a shoulder injury early in Game 3 and didn’t play in Game 4, although Coach Bob Hartley later said Sakic could have suited up Wednesday if needed. With a 3-1 series lead, it’s unlikely Sakic will play and take the risk of getting hurt and sitting out the Western Conference finals.

“When a key player like that is missing, everyone knows they have to step it up,” said Avalanche forward Chris Drury, the top playoff goal scorer with six.

King winger Kelly Buchberger, who sat out Games 3 and 4 because of an injured left ankle, accompanied the team to Denver and is expected to try to play tonight. He has been getting ice and electrostimulation treatment but was still limping noticeably.

The Avalanche spent Wednesday night in Los Angeles before flying home Thursday. Its plane was delayed, so Hartley gave players the day off.

Although the Avalanche has a commanding lead and has improved each game, players are not foolish enough to be overconfident.

“We know they’ve got a team that can come back from deficits. They’ve done it before,” said Drury, who continues to prove his prowess in clutch situations and scored the third goal Wednesday. “We’d like to take care of things in Denver, but we can’t take anything for granted.”

Defenseman Adam Foote agreed.

“As soon as you get overconfident, they’re going to bury you,” he said. “We have to really respect them.”

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The Avalanche is the lone remaining playoff team with a perfect road record, 4-0. The Avalanche is 3-1 at home, the Kings 2-3 on the road. . . . Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy has a 1.93 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in eight playoff games, better than his impressive regular-season numbers of 2.21 and .913. . . . King goalie Felix Potvin has a 2.85 goals-against average and .894 save percentage in the playoffs. His numbers in 23 regular-season games with the Kings after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks were 1.96 and .919. . . . Colorado winger Ville Nieminen is the top rookie playoff scorer with two goals and five points. King center Eric Belanger is second with a goal and four points.

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Growing up in Montreal, Belanger rejected the hometown Canadiens and embraced the rival Quebec Nordiques.

“The Canadiens were a big and nasty organization,” he said. “When I was young, they weren’t playing a lot of young guys. I wouldn’t have had a chance to play there.”

After fighting his way into the Kings’ lineup this season, Belanger finds himself facing one of those old Canadiens, Roy.

Actually, Roy would be playing for the Nordiques today if the franchise had not been moved before the 1995-96 season to Denver. Montreal traded Roy to Colorado on Dec. 6, 1995, a deal that propelled the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup championship in ’96.

“I was watching him all the time [as a kid],” Belanger said. “I just want to put one behind him in this series. When I was growing up, I dreamed of scoring against him.”

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Belanger has suffered no lingering troubles from the back spasms that forced him from Game 2. He credits a trip to a chiropractor for a temporary solution. He vowed to spend the off-season in the weight room, building up his back muscles and avoiding further problems.