Buffalo Sabres lose Christian Ehrhoff, Tyler Myers to injuries on verge of playoff opportunity
The 2011-2012 National Hockey league (NHL) season may well be over for Buffalo Sabres’ defenseman, Christian Ehrhoff, who is out of the squad with a knee injury.
Ehrhoff injured his left knee in the game against Washington Capitals last week, already missing out on a couple of games since then.
Sabres’ coach, Lindy Ruff, in one of his latest updates regarding the injury problems of the team, said that the defenseman is unlikely to be available during this week.
He might not be able to rejoin the team this season, especially if Sabres, who are just holding on to a last chance of making it to the playoffs, are not successful in their efforts.
The team is currently 9th on the table, just a couple of points behind the last/eighth position holders, Washington Capitals, in the Eastern Conference, and can only hope to reach the second round, courtesy of a favourable position on the points table.
Otherwise, the season is certainly over for Ehrhoff and Sabres so their reunification for a league game would probably be delayed for another year at least, before the start of next season.
In view of the team’s run of success in the last quarter of the current season, which has remained the most impressive of the league’s, some commentators believe that Sabres should be able to play the second round this year.
Sabres, at one stage, went down to the 14th position, but because of successive wins lately, pulled themselves up.
All the team members are hopeful of their chances, and if they are able to reach the playoffs, it will be one of the major turnarounds of the season.
The health and fitness of all players is going to be crucial for the team's playoff prospects at this point in time.
Injuries to players, such as Ehrhoff, are not going to bode well into their playoff ambitions, and the management therefore, wishes for the earliest possible recovery and return of the defenseman.
Fortunately, Ehrhoff’s injury does not need a surgery, confirmed by the coach, settting hopes of a quicker comeback of the player.
Meanwhile, the coach said that another defenseman, Tyler Myers, who has missed one game due to a foot injury, is likely to rejoin them in the closing period of the regular season.
Myers was injured in the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins last week when he took a shot off his foot.
The injury made him sit out of the next game.
He did not practise on Monday, but is expected to join the squad in the later part of the week.
Sabres has three games left in the regular season and Myers is expected to play the last two, or at least the final game, which is a home game for them.
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