Canes test surprising Avalanche

DENVER — Canes defenseman Tim Gleason was on the ice today at the Pepsi Center for the morning skate but will not play tonight against the Avalanche. "That's a real good sign for us, that hopefully it won't be a matter of weeks," coach Paul Maurice said of Gleason's upper-body injury. "It's day to day." Jay Harrison replaces Gleason in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the last two games. Harrison, by the way, has the only goal by a Canes defenseman this season. The surprising Avalanche, which leads the Northwest Division and Western Conference with a 6-1-2 record, is one of the NHL's best early season stories. The Avs have rookie centers Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly, both 18, in the lineup yet picked up 10 of a possible 14 points in a recent seven-game road swing by going 4-1-2. The Avs' start is the second-best for the team since it moved to Denver 14 years ago. The Stanley Cup champs in 2000-2001 opened 7-0-2...