Canes’ injury update more promising for Mrazek
Here’s the injury update after the Carolina Hurricanes’ Tuesday practice, a day before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference second-round series with the New York Islanders at PNC Arena:
-- Goalie Petr Mrazek was not at practice but his condition was slightly upgraded by Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour, who said, “We’re lucky. The report I got was (the lower-body injury) isn’t as bad as we feared.” Brind’Amour said Mrazek is “day to day” and possibly could return this series, adding, “Petr was playing lights-out.” Brind’Amour stressed the Canes would be extra cautious with Mrazek, given the nature of his injury.
-- Forward Andrei Svechnikov went through the full-contact practice Tuesday. The rookie has completed the concussion protocol and declared himself ready to play -- “I feel good, great,” he said -- for the first time since the Game 3 fight with Alex Ovechkin in the Washington series. Said Brind’Amour, “He looks good but you don’t want to put people in when they’re unsure. He’s got to be 100 percent sure before he goes.”
-- Forward Micheal Ferland was at practice and said he would did not expect to play Game 3 but was a “maybe” for Game 4. Ferland, like Svechnikov, has not played since Game 3 against the Caps with an upper-body concern. “Something that has been lingering for a while and just needed some rest and time to settle down,” he said. Ferland said he has been skating for a week.
-- Forward Jordan Martinook was not at practice but Brind’Amour did not rule him out of playing Game 3. Martinook has missed the first two games of the Islanders series with a lower-body injury.
Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk (upper-body) and forward Saku Maenalanen (hand) are out.
This story was originally published April 30, 2019 at 5:30 PM.
