TAMPA, Fla. — Marc Staal was in a terrific mood on Sunday morning — so much so, he admitted the hope is he plays on Tuesday in Sunrise, Fla., against the Panthers.
Staal has been out since Dec. 7, when he was concussed on a hit from Devils’ rookie Reid Boucher. Sunday’s 4-3 win over the Lightning at the Tampa Bay Times Forum was the 10th consecutive game Staal missed, and although he’ has been skating for just more than a week, it was previously thought to be a long shot he would be ready by Tuesday.
Staal said he has passed all the necessary tests to return, and his plan was to ride a stationary bike Sunday night, practice again in Tampa on Monday, and, if all goes well, play on Tuesday.
“It’s been a good week and a half,” said Staal, who has now had two recorded concussions in the past two years, as well as a horrific eye injury. “It’s just how I’m feeling and how things respond to hard work and bumping on the ice and taking a couple hits and stuff. Then we’ll go from there.”
Defenseman Conor Allen made an impressive NHL debut, with 15:47 of ice time, including 6:59 in the third period of a one-goal game.
“He was one of our better D’s,” said coach Alain Vigneault, who gave Allen more ice than third-pair partner Justin Falk (8:45), and even one more shift (22) than Michael Del Zotto (21), despite Del Zotto’s 16:43. “He outplayed some of the other guys and deserved to be out there.”
“I was pretty nervous in warm-ups,” Allen said. “My second shift, I had a really strong one and [Rick] Nash came up to me, gave me a pat on the butt and said, ‘Good job, keep playing confident.’ I think that got me more in the game and [to] stop thinking about my nerves.”
Defenseman Anton Stralman missed the game after suffering a left hand/wrist injury early in the first period of Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Capitals in Washington.
Stralman attempted a poke check on Alex Ovechkin and, as he was reaching out, Ovechkin’s follow-through nailed Stralman in the hand. Stralman said there was no structural damage, and was optimistic about playing Tuesday.
“It’s not a thing that hurts all the time, it’s more with the movements and the game situations you’re in,” Stralman said. “So I wanted to test it, and I was a little surprised it felt as good as it did. But it wasn’t good enough.”
Captain Ryan Callahan skated for the second straight day in full equipment, still trying to get back from the MCL sprain in his left knee, suffered on Dec. 17. The original four-to-six week timetable would get him back at the earliest for a game in Chicago on Jan. 8, and although Callahan said that schedule is still intact, the man known for coming back early left himself a wise little out.
“It’s hasn’t changed — as of right now,” he said. “So if it changed, I didn’t lie to you guys.”