DET vs COL

Denver - This is life on hockey's death row. You're alive, but you know it won't be for much longer.

Down three games to none, with only two examples in the entire history of the league where teams overcame such a deficit, the Colorado Avalanche are just hoping the state - in this case, the Detroit Red Wings - has a little mercy at the end of it all.

The Avs are utterly, thoroughly demoralized mentally, and so banged up physically that it was more of a Lake Erie Monsters practice Wednesday than anything. Handfuls of regulars sat out practice, while recent Black Ace callups from the AHL Monsters ran around the rink.

It was learned that centre Paul Stastny is out for the rest of the series and probably beyond with a knee injury, suffered in the first period of Game 3. Left wing Ryan Smyth (foot) is doubtful for Game 4, and Peter Forsberg (groin) didn't practice and seems questionable to play.

There is no intrigue left in this series, but there is some regarding future Hall of Famer Joe Sakic. Could it be his last game ever Thursday night?

The Avs' long-time captain said he'll take the time over the summer to decide whether to return in 2008-09. Most people expect him to return, but some believe he might want to retire while still playing at a relatively high level.

Sakic is the team's leading scorer in the playoffs, with eight points in nine games, but has looked his age (38) at times in this series. Wings youngsters Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg have been having their way so far, and Sakic is a minus-4 overall in the postseason.

Sakic, born in Vancouver but raised mostly in Burnaby, B.C., would like to play for Canada in the 2010 Olympics in his hometown, but not at the expense of his career credibility.

The two-time Cup champion Sakic will quit some day, but won't quit on this series until they tell him there's no more hockey left to be played.

"It takes four games to win a series, not three," he said. "Our goal right now is just to win one game."

Sakic missed half the regular season with a sports hernia, and was slow to get things going after he returned. But he started to get better late in the regular season, and still loves to play the game.

The Red Wings, who had a light workout Wednesday, have gotten every single break so far in the series. But they've also clearly been the better team and don't want to change anything now.

"We think we can be better," winger Johan Franzen said. "We've got a good lead, but two of the games have been real close."

The Avs will start Jose Theodore in net again, despite his having allowed four goals in each of his first three starts. Theodore also has lost 14 straight games in the second round of a playoff series, and is 2-16 overall.