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Saturday, October 23, 1999
Alfie's sprain a pain
Captain hopes MCL injury only a minor setback
It's a scene that has become all too familiar for Alfredsson and the Senators.
The team captain will be out of the lineup tonight against Buffalo and his status on the injury report is listed as day-to-day, after spraining the MCL in his right knee Thursday against Colorado at the Corel Centre.
The Senators will know today how long Alfredsson will be on the sidelines, which depends on the severity of the sprain.
Centre Bruce Gardiner, for example, suffered a mild sprain of the MCL in his left knee last week and is expected to miss 7-10 days.
OFF TO GREAT START
The injury puts the brakes on one of the best starts of Alfredsson's five-year NHL career.
"It's really unfortunate because he was off to such a great start," said defenceman Jason York. "He worked so hard this summer, but at the same time he's the type of guy who'll bounce back real quick. He's in awesome shape."
Alfredsson scored at least one point in six of the team's first eight games, collecting four goals and eight points in the process.
"It's no fun getting injured, but I'm still hoping for the best," said Alfredsson. "I hope it's definitely not as severe as last year."
Alfredsson resembled a walking infirmary more than a hockey player last season, missing 23 games to a series of injuries, including the first nine with a torn MCL in his left knee.
The latest injury occurred with five minutes left in the first period, just before Colorado rookie Alex Tanguay ripped a shot off the goal post.
After lining up for a draw in the Avalanche end, Alfredsson chased Tanguay to the boards for a loose puck. As Alfredsson attempted a check, Tanguay moved to the side.
"I kind of missed him, and I hit with my left leg. Then my right leg came in behind and I sprained the MCL,"said Alfredsson.
"It didn't feel that bad, but I went off the ice just in case. I was thinking as I was skating back toward the bench, 'Should I stay on?' I didn't know how bad it was. Then I came to the bench and it kind of stiffened up a little bit. We decided to take the sure thing instead of going back on the ice."
Alfredsson picked up an assist on Ottawa's first goal, scored by Rob Zamuner eight minutes before the injury.
With Alfredsson out of the lineup, the line of Zamuner, Andreas Dackell and rookie Mike Fisher went on the attack during Ottawa's 4-1 victory.
MARTINS LIKELY TO PLAY
Forward Steve Martins will likely get into the lineup for just the second time this year with the captain on the mend.
"It's tough to replace guys like that," said defenceman Wade Redden of Alfredsson. "Obviously, it's a big loss for us. He was wearing the 'C' this year. He's a leader. He's a great player and a guy we look to a lot.
"I guess it comes down to picking up the slack again," he said. Alternate captains Redden and Shawn McEachern will likely assume Alfredsson's role and become co-captains in his absence.
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