Andrew Copp, less than a week removed from a broken cheek bone, a possibility to play in Tuesday's pivotal game between the Red Wings and Canadiens
Last Tuesday, in the third period of a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, Red Wings forward Andrew Copp took a wayward high stick to the face, crumpling him to the ice. It was severe enough an impact to break his cheekbone, though not so severe as to draw a high-sticking minor from the game's officials.
This morning, Copp—sporting a full-cage face shield in a throwback to his collegiate days at the University of Michigan—participated in morning skate, a sign that he is at the very least a possibility for tonight's pivotal matchup between Detroit and the visiting Montreal Canadiens.
"He's gonna take warm-up tonight, so there's a chance," said Derek Lalonde after the skate of Copp. "He's still not completely comfortable, still dealing with that swelling, but he's gonna take warm-ups tonight, and we'll have a feel from there. Same lineup [as Saturday night against the Maple Leafs, shown below] if he can't go."
Given the stakes of tonight's game, it's hard not to feel as though Copp will lace up if at all possible. "I think that's a game that everyone would like to play in," said winger David Perron. "It's great to see him. I don't know what's going on in his situation yet; I don't want to talk, to get ahead of that, but he's pushing, and so is everybody. It's impressive that we all have something we go through. You wake up on the morning on off-days, and you feel like 'how am I gonna do this tomorrow?' But you get re-energized, and it's impressive to see him do that."