Halischuk had partial ACL tear; Leblond back to play

Right wing Matt Halischuk, who injured his right knee while playing for Lowell in a game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Nov, 7, is in New Jersey today to be examined by team doctors. Halischuk had arthroscopic surgery on his knee three weeks ago.

He said doctors "cleaned up" a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament. "It wasn't as bad as they thought," Halischuk said.

He's been in Lowell rehabbing, but has not skated yet. When asked if he thought he would play again this season," Halischuk replied," I'm hoping to."

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Devils coach Brent Sutter said rookie left wing Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, who was called up today, is ready to play after playing six AHL games with Lowell. Leblond had been out since Oct. 25 with a cracked orbital bone, but it looks like he will play Thursday night in Philadelphia.

"He's back in game shape now," Sutter said. "He was an effective player for us in his role when he was here before and the decision was to bring him back.

Leblond has played nine total games for Lowell this season and recorded no points, but 42 penalty minutes. He had one assist in three NHL games with the Devils earlier this season.

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Center Dainius Zubrus said he is completely over the stomach ailment that weakened him Saturday and kept him out of most of the third period of the 4-1 loss to the Penguins.

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Sutter said he's "three days, 72 hours" away from deciding whether Scott Clemmensen or Kevin Weekes would start in net on Thursday.

Comments

[Pearl Jammed]

I am glad Blondie will be back for Thursday because i think were gonna need him against a very physical flyers team. it will be a tough week though with the matchups we have with philly and then Montreal. i would hope we don't get out muscled though on thursday and i think we stand a pretty good shot at getting a W.
But lets all try not to rush to trade Rolston if he doesn't get a hat trick on thursday if he plays, and start wondering if him, Gio and a pick gets us Bouwmeester

[Tom Gulitti]

I know you're joking, but Rolston has a no-trade clause, so hopefully even the insane people won't think up that one.

[theking72]

Who is likely to be sent down now that PLL is up?

I would say Vrana because his ice time is close to nil but if I recall he would have to clear waivers.

[Pearl Jammed]

Yeah just a joke, but i think that we as fans really haven't even gotten a taste of what this team can really do, and i think that once all the F's come back from injury it will still be a week or 2 before they start to gel as a team, and then i think its time for the rest of the league to take notice. Salmela also is going to make it tough for Andy Greene to get back in the lineup. Hope your holiday was a good one TG

[Rico Suave]

a tear of happiness rolled down my face. can't wait to see where they place rolston, i would to see him with zajac and paraise. he can rip that slap shot of his and the paraise will just clean up that mess. i would peg holik for another week or two tops, just about the same with greene.....happy days.

[Jeff]

I am going to say we see Holik December 10th against Pitt at The Rock.

[embo slice]

mottau out when greene comes back....you can't take salmella out....or maybe Sutter will play mike mottau at wing and send parise down to lowell

[Shtikl]

Wow, LeBlond goes back, maybe he'll find someone worth a black eye in the N. Lot of turtles in the A!

Thanks for the news about Halischuk! If he's patient and puts as much effort into rehab as he does into everything else, he'll come back healthy and pick up where he left off.

[Pearl Jammed]

Mottau isn't going anywhere, and anyone who thinks so hasnt been watching the last 2 years or so. He is a favorite of Sutter, and plays a very steady and consistent game. There is no way he gets taken out of the lineup, Rather i think when Greene is ready he may have to wait to get back in.

[Puckster]

PL3 makes sense against Philly. He'll be better on our fourth line in the fighting/checking role than Tallackson or Brookbank.

[TG]

As I posted below, Sutter said he's keeping his top two lines intact, which means you won't see Rolston with Parise and Zajac.

[embo slice]

for now we wont see rolston with those 2, but when he gets back in game shape and works his minutes up, he will be or better be....and it will be #15 that moves down

pearl jammed....you know ive been watching....i'm not a mottau hater....i just think greene is better and more versatile...more of an offensive dman

[JJ]

I don't know embo slice, I'm pleased by Greene's improvement in his skating but I never have been sold on him being anything but an extra cog. Mottau's shown he can log regular minutes vs. the opponent's top lines and remain cool under fire and that's more important than having a bit more offense from the back line. I know Greene had one big game and has a couple goals but 6 games does not a season make.

[JJ]

Brookbank on the other hand, you can send him wherever you want because he has looked completely lost on D this year.

[modnarm]

none of us are Mottau haters.. Greene just happens to do everything Mottau does except do it all BETTER. Stronger on his skates for one, and much better offensively. Mottau may have a little more experience but Greene is much more complete and solid than Mottau

[JJ]

Oh, btw I guess the semi-colon got lost with the RJ huh Pearl Jammed? :)

[JJ]

Not sure what you are seeing there modnarm. Mottau's played well this year. He doesn't do anything to make you say "wow" but he's been steady and that's all we need from him. Other than the over-commit on the Nielsen hit I actually can't remember the last time I saw him do something where I found myself saying WTF were you thinking? Are we forgetting how many times in the past we've seen someone sneeze near Greene and he loses control of the puck? I like Andy but again, it's only 6 games. Let's see him do it over 40+.

[pando20rules]

I'm not a Mottau hater either, but let's be realistic here, in a perfect world, he's a #7, filling the Tommy Albelin role. Saying he should remain in the lineup over a healthy Andy Greene would be a joke. Greene can still develop into a legit top 4 D-man (not there yet by any stretch), but Mottau is at his apex.

[embo slice]

i respect all the points...its honestly a good problem to have....it gives the team and mgmt. options in case of injury or the ability to make some deals...or also provide some competition to get in the lineup, which will help the team too

[Josh]

I love Rolston, but even so I don't think that it would be a good idea to break up ZZPop. Those three have had chemistry for years now and all 3 are comfortable with each others' styles. I think that Langenbrunner's physical play brings a lot to that line, although Rolston isn't a slouch either.

[embo slice]

zzpop has been very good, but exchanging langenbrunner for rolston will make that line even BETTER, just imagine getting even more out of them how much better off we will be....we cant stick rolston with rupp and leblond, it would be such a waste of that signing

[maddening11]

i hate to say it, but based on skill and play this season alone I think colin white would be the odd man out. It will never happen, and the "A" he was wearing while madden was out proves it, but mottau, greene, salmela all bring something to the table that whitey doesnt--potential for offense and puckmoving skills. In the old NHL white was great; a tough, dependable, stay-at-home defenseman. Nowadays his style of play and inability to regain his form since the eye injury makes him expendable with the plethora of D we seem to have right now.
Its going to be a tough call for sutter when greene gets back, but I wouldnt be surprised to see salmela and greene alternating much like we did with our D last year. And i don't dislike him, but hopefully brookbank wont see any game action the rest of the way.

[Puckster]

It'll be a tough call when Greene comes back. I think Greene earned a spot in the lineup before his injury, but it may take him awhile to get back into game shape. We'll have to see what happens. Hopefully, Greene will at least be given a chance given his much improved play before the injury.

I don't know who you take out in his place. Mottau? White? Salmela? It's a tough decision. I guess it will depend on how everybody is playing when Greene is game ready.

[JJ]

He struggled early but White has been good the last 15 or so games also. Just can't see Greene supplanting anyone right now actually.

[devilsfan]

TG - thoughts on who's going to be sent down? With P3L up that leaves too many on the roster doesn't it.