Detroit Red Wings forward Marian Hossa is about ready to come back from a bout with soreness that came as a result of an awkward collision (YouTube) during the team's 5-0 win over St. Louis on March 3rd. He has skated this week and will return to the lineup Thursday night against Calgary if he checks out in the morning skate. The big Slovak has missed four full games already with a combination sore knee, sore neck, and sore back. Fortunately, tests following the incident did not reveal any long-lasting damage. Hossa and the Wings dodged a big bullet. They'll now hope he won't get injured in his second return from similar injuries in a week and a half.
The Wings have missed his size and jump in addition to his passion despite the fact that they won three of the four games without him. That loss was Saturday's 8-2 debacle against Columbus, a game that has the team and the fans wanting all hands on deck going forward.
Still, the circumstances of his injury, which involved a frightening head-first collision with the end boards and being taken off on a stretcher, have the Wings not taking any chances on the recovery timetable. If he isn't comfortable in the morning skate, he's out again.
Knowing Hossa, he should be able to fire on all cylinders quickly once he returns. A combination of a Hossa looking to end the season strong and a Wings team looking to correct its game ideally will lead to an exciting finished product.
