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Green to return to action Tuesday |
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Mike Green didn’t like how he felt on the weekend but he certainly liked what he saw.
“The guys played an excellent game,” Detroit Red Wings defenseman Green said of weekend wins over Washington and Pittsburgh, two contests he sat out due to illness. “We came out strong in both games.
“I thought I might have to work my way back into the lineup but hopefully I get the call tomorrow.”
Healthy and ready to go, Green thinks the Wings are oozing with confidence as they play host to the New York Islanders on Tuesday before entering their bye week.
“I think there’s a sense of confidence that’s risen in the last little bit,” Green said. I think one of the biggest things I noticed in sitting out the last two games was our forecheck and staying above guys. We’re a really playing a patient game and it’s cause for some chaos and confusion in the other team’s zone and we’ve gotten a lot of chances. If we continue that we’ll be good.
“We’re really playing good hockey. If we can continue that after the break here and finishing with the game tomorrow night, we’ll go on a run, we’ll create some points and we’ll put ourselves in a good position. Right now we’re playing good and we need to continue.”
Watching And Waiting
While Green will get back in action, forward Gus Nyquist still must sit out three more games to complete his six-game NHL suspension for a high-sticking incident, although he did enjoy his vantage point during the weekend wins.
“Two real good teams and in a back-to-back situation where you travel, so that was awesome to see, it was fun to see,” Nyquist said.
What isn’t fun is the fact that Detroit’s week-long bye falls right smack dab in the middle of Nyquist’s suspension, meaning he won’t see game action again until March 4 at Edmonton.
“It turned out to be a little longer than it would have been in a normal case,” Nyquist said. “Now we’ve all got five days in between and two full off days.”
There will be no down time for Nyquist during the break, however.
“I’ve just got to work hard in practice, do your extra stuff and make sure you’re in shape, so hopefully I’ll be able to do that and come back strong,” Nyquist said. “During the bye week I’ll be working hard and making sure I stay in shape. That’s all I can do at this point.”
Howard Return
Jimmy Howard, who hasn’t seen action in an NHL game since suffering a knee injury Dec. 20 at Tampa Bay, was on the ice with the Wings during Monday’s practice.
While that was definitely progress, the journey back is far from over for Howard.
“It feels good being able to practice with the guys but we’re not quite there just yet,” Howard said. “It’s gotten better every single day which is a positive.
“We’ve progressed every single day, so hopefully we can keep moving up the ladder here.”
The next step for Howard is uncertain. He’ll continue to work out during Detroit’s bye week and hopes to soon make another rehab appearance with AHL Grand Rapids.
“There are quite a few scenarios right now that we’re kicking around, so hopefully we’ll do it sooner rather than later,” Howard said.
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