Joffrey Lupul’s injury setback likely to hit hard Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff hopes -NHL News
A separated shoulder has certainly ended the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season for Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward, Joffrey Lupul.
The injury was confirmed by the management on Wednesday, March 07, 2012, and its timing is not good for the team as Leafs are already struggling to remain on the course to playoffs amid very thin chances at the moment.
Leafs have about 16 more games to play in the regular season and need to win a majority of them and some good fortune to qualify for the postseason.
The absence of their leading player, Lupul, has dented Leafs’ hopes and they only could wish for the player’s return sometime later during the playoffs.
With the recovery expected to take around four to six weeks, there are thin chances of the player’s return before the end of the season.
The return could be even more difficult if he takes more than a month to recover and in that case, it would be very difficult for Leafs to stay alive in the playoff contention.
Lupul was injured in the game against the Boston Bruins, who outscored Leafs and won the game with a one goal margin, 5-4.
The injury, which was later confirmed to be a separated shoulder, came as a result of a check by Bruins’ centre, David Krejci. Lupul was immediately benched following the incident and did not show up for rest of the game.
A player with such an injury needs at least a month to recover, but it could also take a little longer time period, which Leafs would never want in Lupul’s case.
Lupul is the leading scorer for the team. He has recorded 25 goals and 42 assists in 66 games this season.
With exactly one month remaining in the final game of the season to be played on April 07, 2012, the team is unlikely to see the player in action with them again this season, especially if they fail to reach the playoffs.
Leafs played the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, 07, 2012, while Lupul was nursing his injury. It was his first miss of the season, and the team has brought Carter Ashton from their affiliate in American Hockey League (AHL) as his replacement.
Leafs with the 2-3 loss to Penguins are three points away from the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They must win their successive future games to salvage the chance.
Meanwhile, another forward, Colby Armstrong, who was also injured in the game against Bruins, is day-to-day with a broken nose, and the team hopes his recovery process does not last longer.
He is expected to be evaluated again on Thursday, March 08, 2012, to determine if he is able to join the team for practice on Friday, which could then set hopes for his return on the weekend.
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