After a brutal hit in which Ottawa Senators Scott Sabourin and David Backes collided into each other which saw Sabourin lose consciousness and fall face first into the ice (video here), Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion said this morning that Sabourin has a fractured nose and is expected to be released from the hospital today, according to Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren.
Sabourin went down hard and laid motionless on the ice for quite some time in Saturday’s game against Boston. However, he gave a thumbs up to the crowd as he was carted out and then later was reportedly awake and speaking to attending doctors.
Warren also noted that forward Artem Anisimov is expected to join the team in New York on Monday, but whether he will play against the New York Rangers remains to be seen, although head coach D.J. Smith said it’s possible he plays. He is also a better possibility to play Tuesday against the Islanders.
The news on Logan Brown isn’t as good. Warren reports that the young forward will return to Ottawa for tests and will be “week-to-week” with an upper-body injury. He left Saturday’s game after taking a slash to the arm.
On the other side of the ice, Backes stayed with Sabourin while he was being attended to, but also looked shaken up and also went the locker room once play resumed and didn’t return. Head coach Bruce Cassidy reported that Backes came into the facility this morning to get checked out.
“Doing a little better than last night,” said Cassidy (via the Bruins). “He’s doubtful for the next couple of games.”
With Backes out, it looks like the Bruins could get back forward Brett Ritchie, who was seen skating today with John Moore and Kevan Miller. If Ritchie is ready, according to the Bruins, he will go in tomorrow.
- The New York Rangers could get some good news. Center Mika Zibanejad was skating on his own Sunday, although he did not practice. Head coach David Quinn did not rule him out for being ready for Monday’s game against Ottawa, according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Quinn said he will have to consult with the medical staff before a decision can be made. The team’s top center has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, although the team has coincidentally won both games without him.
- After missing Saturday’s game due to a lower-body injury, Newday’s Andrew Gross reports that defenseman Nick Leddy will remain day-to-day, although he could return as early as Tuesday against the Senators.
That sucks for Brown. He finally got his chance and was really impressive in his first few game this year. Glad to hear Sabourin’s outlook isn’t as bad as it seemed. Hope Backes is alright too. Great professional.
Agreed on all points. Brown looks like a completely different player compared to last year. His 200-foot game has improved immensely and his confidence is noticeable. He really deserved to take Ryan’s spot in the lineup. DJ Smith’s motto of “the hardest working players will play” is the right way to develop a young team. Glad to see Sabourin is ok too. Was a scary moment after a freak accident. You can really tell Backes was concerned for him. Classy move by the Bruins too to join the Sens on the ice to acknowledge Sabourin when he was stretchered off.