by true Citizens of Hockeytown
Bruce MacLeod writes hope for Leino’s fans today, saying he skated with the main squad in practice today rather than with the kids. Not much can be read into it, however, other than the fact that Babcock wants him ready to go if needed.
MacLeod also reports that Lilja is practicing, but hasn’t received clearance for a return yet.
Ansar Khan reports that Abdelkader has moved up the roster, in practice at least, as a response to Holmstrom’s struggles thus far in the playoffs. For the same reason, Babcock indicated Cleary might get on the power play. Cleary’s had a heck of a playoff, and could contribute there, that’s for sure.
A point of interest: Leino rotated in on the Hossa/Datsyuk/Abdelkader line. Doesn’t mean he’ll play, but it does provide an insight into where he might if he ever does get in.
Khan also has an update on Lilja.
And, judging from participation in the skate, it looks like the Wings may have escaped the second round without any significant injuries.
Sorry for the lack of posting around here lately. It’s been pretty busy at this end. I’ll have more on the Anaheim series tonight or tomorrow (cutting it close, I know).
For today, there’s the news on Lilja and Draper: Lils skated, but is no closer to returning, and Draper is out for Games 1 and 2 again. With that news, I’d be surprised to see Draper in this round. It seems like we may be headed toward the same scenario we saw last time: two games becoming three and four, or more.
I’m looking forward to the day when the news on what is keeping him out breaks. If it is an injury, the best guess seems to be ribs or possibly vertebrae. If it’s not, the summer will be interesting.
Bruce MacLeod passes along a link to a live chat with Andreas Lilja that started at 1:00 PM ET. I’m at work and behind an anti-Facebook firewall, but check it out if you can.
Ansar Khan has the latest on Andreas Lilja’s injury: he’s got a bleeding vein in his head. He mentions possible surgery, but it sounds like he’s just going to try to rest more and see if the leak closes. He’s all but officially out for the first round and certainly out for at least the first couple games.
It’s an understatement to say this sucks for Lils, but at least he knows what he’s up against now. Here’s hoping he’s able to recover and finish out his career on his terms.
That’s two strange head injuries in two seasons for the Wings, the other being Franzen’s brain bruise during the playoffs.
In lighter news, Brian Rafalski is set to return from a groin injury.
Ansar Khan’s got a bit on Jonathan Ericsson’s fighting ability in his notes piece today. He points out that Jonny fought a few times last season in GR, but neglects to mention the effect that had on his playing time. Former Griffins coach Mike Struthers was not a fan of fighting and would bench even Jonathan Ericsson for doing it.
Khan’s also got a brief update on Lilja’s condition and the news isn’t good. He’s still got headaches, and is waiting on MRI results.
Helene St. James has the latest on Andreas Lilja in today’s edition. The news isn’t good: he’s unlikely to return to action before the playoffs due to a combination of continuing symptoms and a loss of conditioning due to forced inactivity. Best case scenario seems to have him back in the first round.
This will mean an extension of Jonathan Ericsson’s stint with the team, which is good news for his development prospects, but not for the Griffins, who are now guaranteed not to get the big man back. Previously, they had a hope of seeing him back in GR, if only for a couple weeks until the end of the season and the cap restriction.
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