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April 5, 2006, 8:03 AM ET
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Finally, nearly a month after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens, goalie Jose Theodore took part in his first full practice with the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
"It feels really good to be back on the ice with the guys and being able to have fun and compete and work hard," he said.
But the 29-year-old goalie is still recovering from a fractured right heel and no timetable has been set for when he might play, so rookie Peter Budaj will make his 12th consecutive start Wednesday when the Avalanche takes on the San Jose Sharks at the Pepsi Center.
"It would be fun to play, but I don't want to rush anything," Theodore said. "I think the main thing is to be back to 100 percent and make sure I can help this team when I need to play. Right now Peter is playing great, so there's no need to rush anything.
"It's the first time I've missed this many games. I'm really just trying to improve every day. I'm kind of taking it a day at a time. I'm doing a lot of treatments to make sure my heel is healing properly."
Theodore said he feels "a little soreness" after leaving the ice but not much discomfort when he's in the crease.
"It's getting better every day," he said. "The pain's going away, so that's good. I don't feel as fluid and as easy going as it was when I was in game shape, but that's why I'm working hard every day. Every day I feel better and better with my movements and my technique."
It's encouraging, Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville said, to see Theodore taking shots in practice and moving in the crease.
"To say exactly when (he'll play), that's a tough one," Quenneville said. "The fact that he's out there absorbing a whole practice is a good sign."
Budaj has posted a 6-3-2 record with two shutouts, a 2.92 goals-against average and .900 save percentage since the March 8 deal that sent goalie David Aebischer to the Canadiens in exchange for Theodore.
"I think he's been fine," Quenneville said. "We've gotten points in six of our last seven games, so he's doing something right."
That's true, but Budaj has had some problems in road games, allowing a total of 17 goals in games against Anaheim, Calgary and San Jose.
Theodore acknowledged he's eager to put what has been a disappointing season behind him, prove the critics wrong and return to his Hart and Vezina Trophy-winning form of 2001-02.
"Obviously this year I didn't play up to my level, but the year's not over yet," he said.
Injured forward Alex Tanguay skated before practice Tuesday but probably won't play until some time next week at the earliest. He sustained a sprained knee in a March 19 game against San Jose, and the original prognosis was for him to miss between two and four weeks.
"We're probably looking towards the end of that deal," Quenneville said.
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