(My Sportsbook) - The turnstile that is the Avalanche's active roster continues to turn. Though down two players, Colorado will have Peter Forsberg on the ice tonight as it hosts the Vancouver Canucks at the Pepsi Center.

Forsberg participated in his first full-team practice on Monday since signing a one-year contract last Monday to play with Colorado through the rest of this season. Colorado then announced today that Forsberg will make his season debut in this evening's test.

The 34-year-old Forsberg spent the first nine years of his career with the Quebec/Colorado franchise, and is fourth on the club's all-time scoring list with 741 points on 216 goals and 525 assists. He split last season with Philadelphia and Nashville and has been plagued by foot and ankle problems over the last few years.

Forsberg's return should help compensate for the losses of Ryan Smyth and Marek Svatos, who were both injured in Saturday's 5-2 victory over Los Angeles.

Smyth scored two goals before leaving the game on a stretcher with 28.5 ticks left in the second frame after Los Angeles defenseman Jack Johnson drove Smyth hard into the glass at the end of the Colorado bench. Smyth, who missed time earlier this year because of a fractured ankle, was moving his arms prior to being taken off the ice on a stretcher. He was transported to a local hospital where, after CT scan results on his head were negative, he was released.

Svatos, meanwhile, suffered a knee injury in the second period and did not return. Both he and Smyth are out indefinitely. Smyth has 14 goals and 19 assists in 45 games this season, while Svatos has 26 scores and 11 assists in 62 games.

Ruslan Salei posted a goal and an assist, Joe Sakic and Andrew Brunette also scored and Jordan Leopold collected three assists for the Avalanche, who have won three straight for the first time since January 12-15. Jose Theodore made 23 saves to pick up the win.

Colorado, tied with Nashville and Vancouver for the final two playoff spots in the West, halted a four-game home losing streak with the win. Tonight is the second portion of a four-game residency, and the club is 19-11-2 at the Pepsi Center this year.

Vancouver has lost its last three games, including Sunday's 4-1 setback versus Chicago. Ryan Kesler had the lone tally for Vancouver, which had posted at least a point in its previous eight games (5-0-3).

Roberto Luongo turned aside 22-of-26 shots before he was lifted for Curtis Sanford in the third period. Sanford was tested just twice the rest of the way.

Both the Canucks and Avalanche are five points behind Minnesota for first place in the Northwest Division.

Vancouver had a three-game road winning streak halted in the loss to Chicago and is 15-12-5 as the visiting club this year.

Colorado has won its last three games against Vancouver, five of eight and eight of the last 13. The Avs have won four of their last six against the Canucks at the Pepsi Center.