Former Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry hopes his physical troubles are over as he could play again Tuesday when his Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Detroit Red Wings.
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The veteran has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury. He had bad luck in his last two games, which he couldn’t finish. On March 16, in the first half, he was elbowed in the face by New York Rangers’ Tyler Motte and walked into the locker room.
“You have to feel good and get back into your rhythm, then something happens. There are a few benefits of suffering an injury, including working with the assistant coach [Ty Hennes] to restore and optimize other aspects of the game,” Petry told NHL.com.
That gave head coach Mike Sullivan a valuable card ahead of the playoffs. The full-back, who missed 16 games with an upper body problem that developed on December 10, skated alongside Brian Dumoulin during Monday’s session. He remains dangerous offensively, as his 26 points this season show. Can he return to success?
“When I go back after my injury, I felt good when I came back. I took my time getting back into the game and having a good streak before another unforeseen event of course happened. I’m just trying to take inspiration from those good times to carry with me into the upcoming games.”
The Penguins hold the second pass of drafted clubs in the National Hockey League Eastern Conference with 82 points, three ahead of the Florida Panthers.