Nashville Predators playoff campaign likely to hit by defenseman Hal Gill’s injury-NHL News
Nashville Predators’ defenseman, Hal Gill, who serves as a solution to the team’s multiple needs, is unlikely to play the first playoff game on Wednesday, April 11, 2012.
Gill did not join the squad for practice on Tuesday, the last session of the team before the start of the postseason, and the managers admitted that the player’s absence serves no good to their playoff cause.
Given that all games of the second round are of great significance, as one loss is likely to affect overall standing of the team, uncertainty around the defenseman’s participation is a major setback to Predators’ ambitions.
Predators have not disclosed much information around the injury status of the player and his chances and timeline for return, and due to the silence, the fears about the impossibility of him making it to initial few games have gained grounds.
Predators’ coach, Barry Trotz, who disclosed that the player had briefly skated before the team’s training session on Tuesday, said he was day-to-day.
Without elaborating further about his comeback chances, the coach said it was a lower-body injury and the reason behind the management’s cautious approach was the fact that it does not want to risk his injury aggravating further.
Trotz said:
"Somewhere in the lower body. He'll be a game-time (decision) tomorrow. We felt with his injury, no sense trying to aggravate it."
The absence of the player will significantly be noted as he provides solution to the team’s needs of experience, height, size and weight.
His teammate, defenseman, Ryan Suter, said of Gill:
"He's a big guy who takes up a lot of space out there. He takes some time away from me and (Shea Weber). He's good at penalty killing. He's just an older guy; this is a young team. We don't have a lot of older guys."
Gill had been traded for a couple of other players by Predators as part of general manager, David Poile's pressing campaign for fulfilling the team’s requirements at certain positions.
He has remained a crucial part of the squad since his arrival in Nashville and his absence in the face of the playoffs has become a cause of concern for the GM and other team officials.
Yet they have tried best to maintain a happy mood in the dressing room of the team and the rest of the players are said to be excited and ready for the playoff challenge.
Still, the management is hoping for earliest possible return of Gill to the team, which will certainly boost Predators’ hopes and confidence for wins.
Tags: