The Senators are hoping they will be without winger Alex Kovalev for just one game.
Kovalev missed practice today and will miss tomorrow’s game against the Buffalo Sabres as he returned to Russia following the death of his mother-in-law.
“We hope to have him back, in the best case, for Monday,” when the Senators host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, said Senators coach Cory Clouston. “It could possibly be that early, but we understand if it takes longer.” “It’s bad timing, but there’s never good timing (for something like this),” said Clouston. “Our condolences go out to the family.”
The Senators will also be without fourth-line winger Shean Donovan tomorrow and maybe for the rest of the season. He sustained a right knee injury on a knee-on-knee hit by Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke. The exact extent of the injury won’t be known until more tests are completed today, but Senators general manager Bryan Murray said it was serious.
“It’s his MCL (medial collateral ligament) for sure and he’s having an MRI to see if it’s the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), too. We won’t know until tomorrow,” said Murray.
He contacted NHL executive vice-president of hockey operations Colin Campbell to discuss the hit, but Murray said he didn’t expect there would a suspension coming for Cooke.
“If it was any other player, you wouldn’t say anything, but it’s happened several times,” said Murray of Cooke.
Clouston said the Senators would miss the energy Donovan brings to the team.
Senators winger Jesse Winchester says he had only fought once or twice during his college career and a few times during his career with Cornwall of the Central Junior Hockey League, but he says he's willing to do whatever it takes to stay in the lineup.
Added Clouston: "…It's not one or two guys. So we have other guys who can fill that role and what a great opportunity for them."
Clouston was referring to Peter Regin and Ryan Shannon, both of whom have been healthy scratches for two straight games but will draw back into the lineup against the Sabres.
"They should maybe be a little bit hungrier," said Clouston. "Both of them have been talked to and they know what they have to do. It's a matter of going out there and playing the game, not worrying that this is do or die for them and they have one game to show themselves. Just go out there and play the game the way they know how."
Defenceman Anton Volchenkov (right elbow) continues to push closer to a return to the Senators lineup. The big Russian blueliner began shooting pucks today for the first time since he suffered the injury Oct. 28 against the Florida Panthers. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow morning, but he's definitely made a progression in the last four or five days"
Saturday’s game marks the first of six meetings between the Northeast Division foes this season. Ottawa won last year’s season series, earning five of a possible six victories, including a sweep of the three contests in the nation’s capital.
Ladies and Gentlemen! Let’s get ready for some long-overdue payback…
If we sweep Ottawa and don't make the playoffs I'll sleep at night with a big fucking smile. Beat Ottawa...it's more important than everything else.
_________________ Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.
I'm hoping to come home to see we beat the crap out of Ottawa later today.
_________________
CriminallyVu1gar wrote:
No need for violence, just tell her she's got a game misconduct and show her the door.
Rud wrote:
As I said in the GDT, the call on Rivet was horseshit. The Bruins player was holding onto Rivet's stick like it was the last fucking raft on the Titanic.
Off to another hot start, Buffalo is wary of last season's collapse, writes Ken Warren.
"The view from the top of the Northeast Division standings looks good to Buffalo Sabres centre Derek Roy, but the Rockland native knows from experience that it's dangerous to get carried away with quick starts.
The Sabres bring the best record in the division to Scotiabank Place tonight, but Roy doesn't need the memory of an elephant to be reminded of what happened a year ago at this time.
"We like our start, but we got off to a great start last season and slipped a bit," Roy said in a telephone interview.
Rewind the tape to the 2008-09 season and you'll recall that the Sabres roared out to a 6-0-1 start. They were sitting pretty at 9-3-3, but then lost five straight games in regulation. The slump allowed a pack of Eastern Conference teams to catch them, and for months they jockeyed in and out of playoff position. Finally, after losing star goaltender Ryan Miller for five weeks due to an ankle sprain, the Sabres limped to the finish and ended up tied for ninth place with the Florida Panthers, two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff berth."
This is our most important game of the year. We have lost two straight in the conference, are playing our arch-nemesis fuckers, and with another loss could lose our hold at the top of the division and risk entering a free fall like we did last season.
Everything's on the line tonight. This game is fucking huge, and the importance of winning cannot be overstated. We must beat fucking Ottawa.
_________________ Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.
I just want to see more than 1 or 2 goals this game. Pleaseeeeeeeeee, someone on the Sabres wake up and score. Kudos to Goose, maybe he'll kick start it again tonight. I would love for him to score a hat trick then beat the living snot out of some Shmuck of a Senators player
_________________ Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about. Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.
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