GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ New Jersey Devils - 7:00pm ET - Fri. Apr. 12th, 2013

Don Brennan ‏@SunDoniB

Only Sens scratches and goalies supposed to be skating this morning with goalies. On ice are O'Brien, Regin, Cowen, Michalek, Lundin #sens

So no Cowen yet.

We can get Latendresse off that top line!...not that he's been that bad.

Sounds like Cowen could be back very soon!

wprager wrote:

Don Brennan ‏@SunDoniB

Only Sens scratches and goalies supposed to be skating this morning with goalies. On ice are O'Brien, Regin, Cowen, Michalek, Lundin #sens

So no Cowen yet.

Not so fast:

Don Brennan ‏@SunDoniB

Although they are on the ice this morning with the scratches, nobody would be shocked to see Michalek and Cowen play..more likely Michalek

NEELY wrote:Sounds like Cowen could be back very soon!

Talk of him even suiting up tonight... that would be crazy.

Turris scores tonight.

BOOK IT.

shabbs wrote:Turris scores tonight.

BOOK IT.

I like your moxie, shabber!

Michalek is available to play tonight.

http://senators.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=16346

Up to PMac now.

DeBoer confirmed no Kovalchuk, Salvador or Hedberg:

"DeBoer says Devs will be without top scorer (Kovalchuk), captain (Salvadore) and backup (Hedberg), all day-to-day with injuries "

https://twitter.com/SunDoniB/status/322729704119484416

shabbs wrote:Michalek is available to play tonight.

http://senators.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=16346

Up to PMac now.

Hasn't PMac already said it's up to Michalek to tell him when he's ready? Like a standing invitation to rejoin the lineup.

shabbs wrote:

NEELY wrote:Sounds like Cowen could be back very soon!

Talk of him even suiting up tonight... that would be crazy.

Like a fox.

The return of snow in the Capital signals the return of the #PeskySens.

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:Michalek is available to play tonight.

http://senators.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=16346

Up to PMac now.

Hasn't PMac already said it's up to Michalek to tell him when he's ready? Like a standing invitation to rejoin the lineup.

And I think he has. Now PMac will have to slot him somewhere...

Interesting dilemma. Do you put him on the top line and move Latendresse? Or break up the Calder line? It's clear whose place on the game roster he will take -- Kassian -- but where does he slot in?

Latendresse - Turris - Alfredsson
Conacher - Zibanejad - Silfverberg
Michalek - Pageau - Condra
Greening - Smith - Neil

How does that look? Score the winning goal and get demoted to the 4th line.

Michalek hasn't been in a game in a long time. Probably good to at least let him start on the third line. Earn his way up.

wprager wrote:Michalek hasn't been in a game in a long time. Probably good to at least let him start on the third line. Earn his way up.

He's been skating for a while I don't think they've ever inserted him anywhere outside the top-6, they might keep his icetime lower than usual.

Hoags wrote:

wprager wrote:Michalek hasn't been in a game in a long time. Probably good to at least let him start on the third line. Earn his way up.

He's been skating for a while I don't think they've ever inserted him anywhere outside the top-6, they might keep his icetime lower than usual.

In Paul MacLean's 1st season Michalek played on the 3rd line after returning from an injury. Not necessarily to earn his way up but to re-integrate into the lineup.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hoags wrote:

wprager wrote:Michalek hasn't been in a game in a long time. Probably good to at least let him start on the third line. Earn his way up.

He's been skating for a while I don't think they've ever inserted him anywhere outside the top-6, they might keep his icetime lower than usual.

In Paul MacLean's 1st season Michalek played on the 3rd line after returning from an injury. Not necessarily to earn his way up but to re-integrate into the lineup.

Agreed. Also, the way Mac rolled lines last game, 9MM will get lots of time to get back into things.

Oh, looks like he's playing for sure:

The Ottawa Senators will welcome a familiar face to the lineup this evening when they face the Devils from Prudential Center in New Jersey.

Milan Michalek returns to game action after missing the past 15 games due to a knee injury. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on March 19 to clean up debris and on Friday morning said he's ready to play.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=420556