DET vs COL

Detroit - The Colorado Avalanche got more bad medical news today, when it was disclosed that first-line left winger Wojtek Wolski will be lost for the rest of the series with an upper body injury.

The injury, believed to be to his ribs, came when he was caught in the crossfire on a big hit by teammate Ruslan Salei on Detroit's Johan Franzen.

That injury means the Avs are likely to be without their two top left wings for Game 2 against the Red Wings Saturday. While Peter Forsberg was at Joe Louis Arena today, he was not on skates and it seems questionable at best that he'll be in the lineup because of an aggravated groin injury.

"It's bad not being able to play, but we'll see tomorrow. There's no decision made right now and I'll just have to take it day to day," Forsberg said.

Forsberg, who rarely skates on game days in the morning, did so Thursday and pulled the groin again about 15 minutes in.

"I can't be upset. Sometimes you have to skate. Of course, you're not happy when it happens like that," he said. "I've just got to get it healed up as soon as I possibly can. But it was definitely not a good situation yesterday. Of course, you feel bad."

Daddy Stuart returns for Detroit

Meanwhile, the Red Wings will only add to their lineup for Game 2.

Defenceman Brad Stuart will return after missing the first game to be with his wife and new son in San Jose.

Stuart will replace Andreas Lilja in the lineup. Lilja took two penalties in Game 1 and wasn't very good. Stuart adds a more physical presence and overall soundness in his own end.

The Wings, who have won their last three post-season games and haven't lost on home ice yet (4-0), want a more consistent effort for Game 2.

They were surprisingly outplayed for much of the second half of the first, on their heels for the last five minutes or so.

"When you don't feel like you have to push the issue anymore, that's when the other team does to you," coach Mike Babcock said.

The Wings got a great first game from the line of Mikael Samuelsson, Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen. Babcock called it his team's best, and wasn't all that surprised by it.

"We said last round that if that line could get going for us, we would be a pretty good team," Babcock said.

Theodore feeling better

The only good news today for the Avalanche concerned goalie Jose Theodore, who practiced and said he feels much better than Thursday.

After allowing four goals and being replaced by Peter Budaj early in the second, Theodore went back to the team hotel, feeling ill.

Theodore took some IV fluids before the game and wanted to play, but said his energy was sapped from some kind of virus that prevented him from eating much the previous 24 hours.

Notebook:

Red Wings Zamboni driver Al Sobotka complied with an NHL order not to swing the traditional pre-game octopus over his head on the ice anymore. The league, tired of all the "matter" that flies off the dead creature from his swings, said it would fine the Wings $10,000 US if it happened again. Sobotka waited until he was in the tunnel behind the net to swing the octopus in Game 1, drawing a huge roar. … The Avalanche is likely to play first-year European Jaroslav Hlinka in Game 2 if Forsberg can't play.