The Detroit Red Wings are currently involved in a heated battle for one of the two wildcard playoff spots available in the Eastern Conference, and to keep their 23 year playoff streak alive. They have been fighting hard and doing so without their top two forwards in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg as both have been out of the lineup with injuries. While Zetterberg isn’t coming back anytime soon, the Red Wings will be getting Datsyuk back in the lineup, and he is expected to make his return on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres.
Looking forward to a game on Friday! I am in…
— Pavel Datsyuk (@Datsyuk13) April 3, 2014
Datsyuk’s last game was February 27th. He has been out with an inflammed knee. Datsyuk originally suffered the injury before the Olympic break. He played for Russia in Sochi on the bad knee, and tried to continue in the NHL after the break, but it became too painful and he needed to take some time off.
“I’m happy to be back with the team,” Datsyuk said earlier this week. “I need a little more time to pick up the pace, pick up everything.
“I can do full skates, lots of things that they do that I cannot do before, that’s why I take three weeks (off).”
The Red Wings are two points ahead of Columbus for the first wildcard spot. Washington sits just three points back, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are four points off the pace.
The 35-year-old Datsyuk has 15 goals and 33 points in 35 games so far this season. He is considered amongst the best two-way players in the NHL, and should provide a big boost to the Red Wings playoff chances.
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