Speedy winger Eric Robinson rejoins the Hurricanes lineup, injecting pace and physicality. He's ready to make an impact as the playoff push begins.
The Carolina Hurricanes are set to get winger Eric Robinson back into the lineup Thursday night as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in their first game back from break.
The team had been without the speedy winger for the last seven games, but he now feels ready to get back into the lineup.
"Feeling very good and ready to go," Robinson said.
The 30-year-old forward had been out of the lineup since sustaining an upper-body injury following a hit from Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin on Jan. 19.
"I was kind of hoping it was just a stinger and that I'd be able to shake it off, but got back to the bench and knew pretty quickly that I had to go get it checked out," Robinson said.
Even though he still missed a good chunk, the Olympic break came at a good time for Robinson, who ended up with an extra three weeks of time to allow his injury to fully recover.
After the team returned to the ice, Robinson practiced a few times in a non-contact jersey, but has since been back to full participation for a few practices now.
"The timing was good for me," Robinson said. "Didn't have to miss any more games and was able to rest and not put the body under too much stress. It was good."
Robinson has been a perfect complementary player in the Hurricanes' system, putting up double-digit goals in back-to-back seasons while also bringing speed and physicality to the bottom six.
He's had good chemistry wherever he's ended up in the lineup, and so the team definitely missed him, but he's especially been effective on the team's fourth line this year.
"I think we're all on the same page," Robinson said. "Bigger bodies trying to play a simple game and not overcomplicate things. Whenever you're on the same page with your linemates, you're going to have more success."
The timing of his return couldn't be better either as the Hurricanes are gearing up for their final push to the playoffs.
With 25 games in 48 days, everyone's going to need to be ready and raring to go and Robinson feels like he's ready to hop back in and pull his weight.
"It's go time now," Robinson said. "You have 25 games left until the real stuff starts. You don't want to wait around and ease into it. It's go time right from the start to make sure we're in form come April."
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